


Can You Feel My Heart

by Karnij



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Eventual Smut, Ghoul!Akira, Ghoul!Futaba, Ghoul!Yusuke, Goro is a good boy I swear, Heavy Angst, M/M, No pancake jokes though im sorry, Not for the squeamish, Slow Burn, Some Fluff, Tokyo Ghoul based
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-12-07 13:01:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11624076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karnij/pseuds/Karnij
Summary: Akira, otherwise known as Joker to the common individual, is a high ranked and wanted Ghoul in Tokyo. While he doesn't view all humans as deplorable, he's hell bent on revenge against the Ghoul Investigators after the death of his friend. Finding an easy way in, he’s caught off guard by something rather unexpected--and from the person he least wants it from.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~ I finally found the motivation to write after 3 years of a rut LOL So I hope i'm not too rusty;; Anyways! I hope you enjoy this first bit.

It was never a gratifying experience devouring the life of someone else, especially while they were still alive. The transpiration never grew old, or natural, it always felt so uneasy and alarming. Their screams would fill the air, pleading for some kind of salvation or relief, begging me to stop. Death was ostensibly the better option than enduring the pain or the off chance of survival. Did the discomfort make me stop? No, not at all. I was so blind by rage, it all blurred together, the screeching being nothing more than white noise as I bit deeper and deeper into the flesh, my nails acting as latches on the victims arms. They struggled under my weight, but it was no use as my scaled tentacles pinned them to the ground.

Blood soaked my mouth, dripping down my neck. It felt thick and heavy sliding down my throat, chunk after chunk, it didn’t stop. Soon the warmth of innards splashed across my skin, the stench of death filling my nose. The shouting ceased, the only movement coming from the relentless tearing of skin and organs. Hunger didn’t strike me until now as I dug through the walls of muscle to get what I was truly after. I’d never felt so angry or so inhumane, but at the same time, I asked myself, how could humans be so downright unforgiving? I wanted nothing more than to tear them all apart at this moment.

Loosening my grip on the mans wrists, I pulled my head up and clasped onto what I wanted to acquire--A treasure, so to speak. A shiver went down my spine, feeling the warmth, the beating so subtle, but still trembling in my hands. Pure carnivorous instinct fueled me, I couldn’t tell if I was drooling from the anticipation, or if blood was still flowing from my mouth. Either way, I ripped out the beating organ without hesitation, holding it high over my head like a prize I had won. I admired the heart I gripped in my hand, turning it so the remaining blood it held within itself dripped into my mouth. I suckled every last bit of it, slurping on the red liquid, before fully devouring the muscle itself. While the killing was something I’d never get used to, the tough, yet soft, texture of the human heart was entirely different. I wanted more…

With the half eaten carcass sprawled out in front of me, I was completely full. I slowed my gulps and swigs as my consciousness became clearer the heavier my stomach became. Breathing was still hard, but manageable as I came off my killing high. This was unlike anything I’d ever done before. While I wasn’t innocent, I’d never done something so brutal. I’m not sure what the figure before me even looked like before I consumed them. Pieces being flung all over the abandoned building we were currently housed in.

Sitting in a more comfortable position, I wiped the blood off my face as best I could with my sleeve, not minding the stain that would be left later. As I’d eaten earlier that week, I felt slightly nauseated from how over stuffed I was . I brought my hands up to my face, covering my eyes, and took in a deep breath. This was all a mistake, a big one I’d never live down. It’s not like I knew the person, but I knew they were of importance to that group. Important and strong enough that they were able to kill my friend without breaking a sweat. If only I had heard about the ambush sooner, I could of saved her.

My hands weakly dropped into my lap as I gazed over at my friends lifeless body off to the side. Her long blonde hair was matted by dried clumps of blood and her body in a contorted mess of broken limbs. I wanted to weep, but it’d been so long since I last cried, it seemed I forgotten how. Instead I had to live with the huge lump in my throat that refused to go down and my heart feeling like it was being ripped in two. Even with my so called “blessed power”, I couldn’t save her. She could still be alive and I could still see her smile for another day, but that was no more, and it felt like it was all my fault.

I got up from the mess I’d made, the moon being the only source of light illuminating this bleak situation through the many broken windows. I walked over to my friends corpse, ignoring the other presence I felt in the room. I gently cradled her, picking her up, making sure not to hurt her more than she already had been. I stared off into space, feeling nothing but hatred for myself more than humans. I knew that displacing my anger was pointless and exhausting, as humans didn’t know any better. They didn’t take the time to understand us, only feared us. Remaining level headed was the hardest thing about this scenario, as I knew the havoc I could raise, especially being a half breed. Especially being a Ghoul.

This situation didn’t go unnoticed, as to be expected from the best in the underground. Finally deciding to acknowledge the person on the pillar above me, I sighed, knowing what kind of lecture I was in for. I’d probably get an even worse one from him later as well, but that didn’t matter. Its not like I didn’t take their advice to heart, but it also didn’t feel right. Their concern for my well being was charming, but I was such a damned existence as it was. I couldn’t bother to be vexed for myself.

“...What are you doing here,” I asked closing my eyes in thought, “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

A small figure made itself known as it walked into the moonlight on the iron bar lodged into the roof to hold it together. They wore a bionic mask, but you could see from their facial structure and lips that they were youthful. Long orange hair accented a green skin tight outfit that only someone with the highest fashion sense would wear--I say that lightly. They adjusted the mask on their face before looking over at the mess of a body left behind by my madness.

“I know you didn’t,” she said, “But it’s a good thing I did. Joker-” she paused before completely turning to face me-“What are you doing? You know this will be hard to cover up, right?”

“Is that not your job?” I asked letting out another sigh. Now that my anger had subsided, I felt exhausted and tired. I didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of my actions at the moment, even though it was inevitable. They’d come after me in due time. Tomorrow, the next day, maybe even a month from now, but for right now, I wanted to sleep off this mess.

The girl stomped her foot and let out a grunt, frustrated at my snide comment, “Joker, I don’t need any of your sass right now, this is serious!” She eye’d the floor below her, hesitating, before leaping down on an empty space not dirtied with spatter. Adjusting the stray strands of hair, she was wary of approaching me, but was still in close proximity, eyeing me and the girls body that was in my arms. While she was a close friend of mine, I’m sure she was questioning my sanity, as always, and knew I was leaps stronger than her. She didn’t want to risk the off chance of my snapping again.

“Look,” she said, “I know Ann’s death is a shock to you, it hurts me too, but this was--” she gestured with her hands to the entire floor, “--Literally over kill! They’re going to find out about us! Hell, their backup is on their way now!”

I blinked, taking in exactly what she was gesturing at. My mouth fell into a slight gawk, but I quickly recovered, smirking and chuckling to myself, finding the situation amusing. She obviously didn’t think so as her frown turned into a pout. She went to say something else to me, but I cut her off as I started walking towards the exit with Ann in hand, ignoring her comment.

An awkward silence hung in the air. Biting my lip, I nodded for her to follow me. She flinched, but reluctantly did so.

“What about--” She started to say again, but I hushed her

“Don’t worry about it. Let them come. I’ll take them out, one by one if they want. I wont go after them, but if it’s a fight they want, let this be a warning.”

The orange hair girl groaned again, scratching her head,”Ooooh, Sojiro’s not gonna like this.” She muttered under her breath, still holding some distance behind me. She took one last look at the scenery, shaking her head in disagreement with my plan of action, but again, didn’t do anything to stop it.

“You worry too much, Futaba.” I smirked.

”I think I need to start worrying more.” She sighed, looking at her feet as she walked. She avoided random obstacles in her way, trying not to get grimy, “A lot more…”

I took a look at Ann’s face once more, wondering what she’d be saying to me right now. Probably the same thing as everyone else, but some times she would surprise me with her motivation to do the unconventional. I had no idea why they targeted Ann in the first place, she was a relatively harmless Ghoul, but she must of exposed herself in a way that lead to this. It was unsettling. Was she keeping something from me…? That couldn’t be it.

Opening the door, we left the scene as it was, the corpse I devoured, body parts strung up, blood splattered and leaking--and all fifteen of the other dismembered foot soldiers.

 

* * *

 

“This is terrible…I don’t know how I’ll be able to explain this to Shido.”

A tall woman with long silver hair dodged the scattered at rest bodies of the fallen soldiers, and made her way to the main, tattered, corpse. She grimaced at the sight, disgusted that this was even humanly--or rather inhumanly--possible. She was used to seeing these kinds of crime scenes, but it still made her sick. Regardless, she had to remain professional, as she was the head of this operation and investigation.

Other examiners were inspecting the bodies for anything of suspicion, carefully moving folds of clothes for evidence or a lead to the whereabouts of the Ghouls. The cuts were deep, but clean, the precision impeccably accurate, if nothing else showed itself, it was most likely the doing of that Ghoul. The one they’d been searching for, for over two years.

The woman stooped down over the body, using a pair of pliers to pull back at the dangling skin. Her lips turned into a hard line as her conclusion came to fruition. “As I expected.” She said, “The heart missing, but everything else intact, this has to be him.” She tossed the pliers aside, removing her gloves. Besides feeding, what was his motive in doing this? If she remembered correctly, they found a corpse in a similar fashion not even a week ago. Ghouls don’t need to eat as often as humans, unless they’re a vicious eater, but by previous patterns, he didn’t appear to be the type.

She hummed to herself in thought. Perhaps he had known the Ghoul who had been targeted by this squadron, which in that case--CRASH.

The woman jumped slightly, reaching for the gun on her hip, but relaxed only seeing a young brown haired girl, bashfully moving away from the debris she accidentally knocked over. The woman let out an annoyed breath, “Makoto, please, watch where you’re going. You’re lucky to even be here right now.”

The girl hesitated before looking down in defeat, “Sorry, sis.” she mumbled, moving out of the way of the doctors carrying out bodies on stretchers. She was new to the crime scene inspections, being a shadow to her older sister for the day, so she was nervous--even though she passed all her tests with flying colors. Remarkably smart, but just that tad bit of anxiousness could get her killed in the field, and her sister knew that.

“Awh don’t be so hard on her Sae, it is her first time in a situation like this.”

The silver haired woman--Sae, collected herself, standing up straight, before turning to see who had addressed her so casually. “Are manners not prevalent to you anymore, or did you forget to say Captain?” She asked, shooting a glare at the doorway.

In the groove, stood an average height brown haired boy with a soft, playful, expression. With how casually he was dressed, he seemed out of place among all the suits and lab coats, but he held himself and spoke with the authority of someone with importance, despite his age. He held a brief case, only Sae knowing what it contained. She’d rather not think of it.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I figured formalities were long lost between us, having worked together for so long.” His said, his lips lifting into a small grin.

Sae held back a bark, not wanting to egg him on. She knew he enjoyed that way too much and would only respond with some smart ass come back. “What are you doing here? Isn’t your division stationed elsewhere?” She asked crossing her arms.

The boy nodded in agreement, “That was the case, yes, but we’ve finished our job a little earlier than expected. I heard what transpired here, so I wanted to help investigate-” He set down the brief case, adjusting his gloves- “If you don’t mind that is?”

“Did Shido give you the order, or are you here for your leisure, Akechi?”

Akechi avoided the question with a shrug. “That’s not of importance. What is important, is why Joker was here and where he’s hiding. How long have you been hunting him, Sae?”

The question hit Sae hard in the gut, but she swallowed the insult. Considering he left no traces at every crime scene, there was no way to conduct a proper search and execution for him. She knew this, as did he, but it was frustrating to not be able to find the Ghoul for this long.

Akechi slowly and carefully weaved through the room, making his way to the spot the female Ghoul had been killed at. He stood over it in thought, holding a hand up to his chin. He remembered the Ghouls name to be Ann, a young high school girl, who went by the name of Panther in the underground. She was well liked by her peers, but also a dangerous threat, having killed several lower to mid rank soldiers. Her downfall was fighting her first A rank official--but the scary thought was--that it didn’t seem to be a problem for Joker, who had a much bigger record under his belt.

“If Joker was close enough to Ann to come to her aid, he must be someone she surrounded herself with.” Akechi mumbled to himself, “But shes only ever been spotted with other females and rarely males…that is assuming Joker is a male, of course.”

Sae stood next to Akechi, looking at the same spot he was staring at. She couldn’t understand what he was mumbling on about and sighed. “What are you saying?” She asked placing her hands on her hips.

”The chances of Joker being a teenager are remotely high, with that we can at least assume to look in a high school, one close to Ann’s previous school, if not her school itself. Really, our only lead is her,” Akechi stooped down and felt along the ground, “This is the first time he’s left such an obvious clue, it feels…strange. Why now?”

“Maybe he’s asking for a fight and to get caught.” Sae suggested.

“Possible.” Akechi hummed, light from the rising sun gently touching his face, “Judging by the wounds on the other soldiers, he acts alone. So he’s planning to fight with a one man army. Little silly, don’t you think?” He laughed more so to himself than anything.

Sae remained quiet, as Akechi stood up and walked around the rest of the building, inspecting the residue that had yet to be cleaned up. Makoto apprehensively followed the two around, taking notes on a small notepad she carried. She didn’t speak up about what she was thinking, instead kept scribbling words down while avoiding looking at the carnage.

Akechi paused again, thinking deeply. He remembered reading something about Ann not being one to travel too far from the surrounding areas. Again, Joker being a close enough friend to come to her aid, they must also be in the area quite often, especially being able to assist at the drop of a dime. That would make him most active in Ward 8. So that would mean…

“Akechi.”

He was drawn out of his thoughts by Sae questioning him. Perhaps he had been thinking longer than he realized. While it narrowed down the area to cover, considering he’d been all over the place before, they still didn’t know exactly what kind of person to look for. Not even a trace of hair was left at the scenes or a footprint. Someone must have been covering him up--Not one person could be so thorough.

“Akechi,” Sae asked again, “You’ve been quiet. That’s unlike you.”

Akechi ran his thumb over his lip, his usual grin returning to his face. So that was it…“Oh it’s nothing,” He said, turning around to face Sae directly. She didn’t like how cocky he was being, but if he figured something out, she was all ears.

“I was just thinking it might be time to get some coffee.” He smirked.

* * *

 

The sun was brighter this morning than to my liking, the summer not giving up on it’s relentless heat. Walking felt like hiking through the thickest of woods, as sweat gathered on my neck. I let out a sigh, but that only let out more hot air that flew back into my face. I hated the heat, I disliked the daytime, and I definitely needed some coffee.

I was given some relief from the sun with the shady alley I had to walk down to reach my common destination for a morning cup. I hadn’t been there in about a week or so, spending my time lazily hanging around random buildings, trying to cover my tracks. I only stopped at home for a quick shower and change of clothing, never staying too long. It didn’t seem like suspicion was too high, the neighbors thinking I’m just a busy student, but it never hurt to be cautious. While I intentionally left a big clue behind, I also didn’t want to endanger others associated with me. It wasn’t their choice to be involved.

A distinct meow echoed down the alley, a small shadow leaping in front of me. I stopped in my tracks, smiling down at the tiny fluff of hair and familiar yellow scarf. Knelling down, I patted the cats head, “Hey there Morgana.” I smiled. The cat appreciated the pet, rubbing its face against my hand, but then its ears went back as if remembering something. His eyes narrowed, backing away from me and turning away, leaving me with a grand view of is behind.

“What are you mad at me for being gone for so long?” I asked, “You’re probably not the only one. I’m sure Sojiro fed you even thought he wants me to eat you.”

Morgana still glared at me not accepting my excuses. He sat firmly on the pavement, his tail tucked under him. I sighed, reaching into my bag. I knew exactly what would cheer him up. Digging through all the useless junk I carried with me, I felt for a metal can.

“Oh, right--” I rolled my eyes- “He didn’t give you the good stuff.”

Pulling out a gold can, Morgana perked up and trotted over to me, meowing and reaching up for it with his paw. I pulled my hand away and gave him a smug grin, “Oh, but I thought you were mad at me? Changed your mind?”

The black cat hissed at me, aggravated at my sass, but I only laughed. Some times talking with cats was easier than humans. At least it was easier to win their affection, but I couldn’t buy food and win the forgiveness of my next challenge.

Opening the can of chopped fish, I set it off to the side for Morgana to eat. He hurriedly ran over to it and started munching on the portion in a happy manner. Wiping the new sweat off my brow, I continued just a few steps further to the front of the coffee shop. A sign above the door read “Le Blanc”, and flowers in pots were planted all around the entrance, giving it a pleasant aroma before stepping in. I closed my eyes, taking in a breath.

“Well, here goes Morgana. I may not actually see you again this time.” I mumbled

The cat didn’t seem to care, too preoccupied with it’s food, or perhaps didn’t want to acknowledge the dead man walking in front of him. I muttered a thanks, opening the door, the aroma of coffee and cold air hitting me instantly. I barely got out a good morning, before something crashed into the wall next to me. Shattered pieces of white falling to the ground.

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING???”

I paused, my hand still on the handle as I went to slowly pull it shut and walk out. The bearded man in a pink button up shirt behind the counter dropped what he was doing, ready to sprint after me if I left. The stern face of rage looked like it was painted on there for a long while, just waiting for the moment he could give me a good wording to.

“Akira, don’t you dare walk out that door!” He boomed, pointing a finger at me.

“To be fair, I never walked in--”

“AKIRA.”

I winced at his unforgiving words, slowly walking in and shutting the door behind me. He told me to lock it and I did reluctantly, feeling the heat about to come. He might have been a human, but he sure didn’t feel like one some times. He was respected, having helped out many Ghouls in the past, the trust ran deep in our veins, which is why no one had bothered to eat him yet. He’d probably taste stale anyways.

“Just what were you even thinking? It’s all over the news, Futaba told me everything!”

I stretched my neck to the side, mildly at a loss for words. He continued to scold me as I sat down on one of the stools in front of the bar. Even though he continued saying what he needed to get off his chest--you shouldn’t of done that, there were better ways to do that, think before you fucking act, etc--he had a hot pot of coffee ready and poured me a cup like he was expecting my visit.

“I…I lost it. I’m sorry.” I said, holding the steaming cup in my hand, the warmth feeling nice on my skin.

“Sorry doesn’t exactly cut it Akira. This doesn’t just affect you, this harms the entire Ghoul community. Do you understand that?”

“They’re not gonna find us if we let them. There have been worse slip ups.” I took a sip of the coffee, the bitter but smooth flavor warming my insides. With just one drink, I felt a million times better than I was. Silence filled the air, as I aimlessly stared at the rows of different beans behind the counter. I felt his stare on me, expecting a better answer than what I just told him, “Besides, it’s just me they’re hunting for. I doubt they even have a lead on anyone else.”

“As far as you’re aware of.” the man scoffed, waving his hand, “I know how these people work, they’re snakes, dirty, don’t underestimate them.”

“I wasn’t planning to, I’ve seen what they can do.”

The man rubbed his temples like he was in deep, deep pain that couldn’t be cured. He shook his head, walking to the other end of the bar to straighten something out, then turned on the TV in the corner. It was no surprise that the incident was still on the news, except this time, there was a girl speaking on the TV with short curly brown hair and wearing a puffy pink sweater. She looked frail and polite, but also worn out and weary. Her eyes were dark and filled with grief, but she tried to keep a calm exposure like this wasn’t affecting her.

“It hurts to know that my father was murdered, especially in such a horrific way…he was such a respectable man. All he ever did was good for the country, I don’t understand how anyone could do such a thing…” She sounded pressured to talk, and like she didn’t have a clear thought as to what to say next, but tried saying what made the most sense to her in the moment.

The news reporter, without missing a beat, frowned and said, “Well, these are ghouls we’re talking about, Ms. Okumura. They’re not exactly filled with moral.”  
The girl shook her head, “I may be so bold as to say, I don’t believe that, but I do believe the one who did this to my father may be different…”

“You’re quite the understanding and rational type, Ms. Okumura. That’s something to be admired. Now, if I may ask, what are your plans to do with your fathers business? Seeing as it provides the Ghoul Investigators with most of it’s supplies to fight ghouls.”

“I will continue the unconditional support and funding. I don’t want to see others like myself get hurt any longer. Dangerous ghouls like this one must be stopped.”

“Well said, well said. Now--”

The reporter kept going with his onslaught of questions, but by that time I had completely zoned out, not caring what they had to say. If only they knew the true extent of the situation. Hearing about it on TV for the first time didn’t hurt as much as I expected it to, and it didn’t enrage me, so that was something positive. Instead, it allowed me to get more insight into their next moves, although I doubted they’d say anything too concrete.

The older man walked around the counter and unlocked the door, flipping over the open sign. “This news wont stop till they find you, you know.”

“I know.” I said taking another sip of coffee, “Let them.”

“Do you have a death wish or something, kid? I was charged with pro--”

“With protecting me, I know, Sojiro.” I said rolling my eyes. Sojiro was some what like an adoptive father to Futaba and I, under really bad circumstances, but I try not to remember it. In all honesty, we were the ones protecting him, not the other way around, but he at least gave us good information and decent advice. He still played the part of “father” as best he could.

He heaved a heavy breath, “I see you don’t want to talk about this right now…Did something else happen?”

“No…” I mumbled biting my lip, “It just sucks losing a friend.”

“...” Sojiro closed his eyes like he was remembering something, “Yeah. Yeah it does, kid.” he said walking away from the door and back behind the counter.

I wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away, but there was some stuff I needed to do later that prevented that from happening. Everything felt so exhausting, so tiring. My heart felt heavy and my body empty. Were ghouls never allowed to live in peace? Would the fighting ever stop? I didn’t know, but I felt like I’d been running for years and my body was nothing but shreds of pure adrenaline keeping me afloat.

Sojiro kept about his business, occasionally saying something to me, but it didn’t really stick. He cleaned up the broken mug he threw at me earlier, keeping the store looking neat. Regular customers came in, ordering their usual, then leaving. I continued to sip on my coffee, this one being my third cup.The caffeine wasn’t helping in the slightest with my energy level. My heart didn’t even feel like it was beating. I was just an empty husk trying to make something of the day. At least later I’d go visit him and see what weird art he made recently. Might--probably not, cheer me up.

Staring blankly at my now empty cup, I heard the door open, the bell chiming for attention. At first the smell hit me, something off putting and strange. I couldn’t quite put a finger on it. I glanced side ways at the new customer, surprised to see a male around my age, but with brown hair and a white jacket and dark gloves. He seemed--very out of place. Like he belonged in a more upscale kind of area, not in some backwater coffee shop like this. No offense, Sojiro.

He looked around, noticing the store was empty except for me. A slight grin spanned his face, as he walked over to the bar sitting a few stools away from me. He crossed his legs and rested his head on his hand, waiting for Sojiro to take his order. I couldn’t get the stench out of my nose, I tried focusing on the coffee bean smell, but that didn’t help. I glanced over at the new comer again, accidentally making eye contact.

The boy tilted his head a bit, perhaps not noticing at first just how young I was. “How unusual to see another high school student here.” He sat up straighter than he was in the seat,

“What’s your name?” he asked giving me a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, i'm so impressed by the positive feed back this has already gotten! Thank you so much! I hope I can continue to make something enjoyable for you all! Let's enjoy the ride together--Because believe me, it's gonna be hell.

The young, dark eye’d male looked harmless, but I felt uncomfortable, nauseous even, why did I feel so on edge? My stomach was tossing and turning from an untold disposition. I looked the boy over again, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He wore a long button up jacket, black pants and gloves, casual attire as far I could tell, but there was something else about him. His smile–It felt fake and plastered on for appearances. His eyes spoke different words than what his mouth did.

He waited for my answer, relaxing into a slight slouch upon my hesitation. “Oh I’m sorry, was that too bold of me?” He asked

I realized I never actually answered him, only silently accused him of being mendacious.

“Oh no,” I cleared my throat, “I’ve just…been having a bad day.”

The boys smile fell off his face. He went to pry more, but was cut off by Sojiro asking him what he wanted to order.

“An Arabica, please. It feels like I haven’t slept in days.” he chuckled.

Sojiro nodded, glancing my way, before prepping the necessary ingredients for the drink. “What exactly is a high school kid like yourself not sleeping for? Homework?” he asked, getting a cup down.

The boy sighed, tapping his fingers against the counter, “Work, regrettably.”

Sojiro laughed, I wasn’t sure as if to mock him or because he was agreeing with him, but he left the conversation at that. I pushed my cup away from me, hunching over. I wanted to say good bye to the boss, but I also wanted to wait for this guy to leave before doing so. That might not be an option depending on how long he decided to stay. Customers commonly got their coffee and left, but he was becoming chatty.  

Sojiro handed the kid his drink, asking for the payment there. The brown haired youth dug into his pocket, giving him slightly more than what he asked for as a tip. Sojiro nodded, happy with the gratuity and extended a thanks. The teen smiled, sipping on his hot cup in silence. I still couldn’t get this weird stench out of my nose. I’d smelled it before, but I couldn’t quite place it. It almost smelled like them--The Investigators, but not quite…there was a hint of Ghoul, but he definitely wasn’t a Ghoul. My brain danced in circles around the question, it quickly becoming irritable. I needed to get away.

I picked my bag off the floor, boss didn’t usually make me pay unless he was hurting on business, so I assumed it would be ok to just walk out. I’d visit again later like I always did and question him then. The boy noticed my rush to leave, but didn’t seemed concerned with it. He calmly set his cup down, tossing a sugar cube in the liquid and stirring it.

“So—About that story…Have you guys ever seen a Ghoul before? Must be terrifying.”

I glanced at him, not stopping to throw my bag over my shoulder. The tone was innocent enough, but there was a hint of a snakes tongue behind those white teeth. He knew what he was asking, not stepping over any boundaries, but also just enough to rise obvious suspicion. I shook my head, prepared for these kind of situations, although it made my stomach flip, more than it already was. He wasn’t ordinary. Did he know about me? It was safe to assume he didn’t, otherwise he wouldn’t of shown up alone, unless he had something waiting for me outside.

I wavered, unsure if I should leave or stay longer. I was not, in any way, ready to fight, especially with Boss around—Although I’m sure he could handle himself, the tough bastard.

Sojiro washed his hands clean or the dark coffee stains on his fingers, “Well, I’m sure if we did, we wouldn’t be here right now.” He laughed, pulling off the act perfectly, but I could tell he had the same train of thought I did. He cleared his throat, grabbing a clean towel, “By the way, I don’t think you introduced yourself.”

The brown haired boy adjusted himself, “Oh gosh, how incredibly rude of me, where are my manners?” He took the spoon out of his coffee that he was stirring with and set it off to the side, “My name is Goro Akechi.”

Boss froze on the spot, the first time showing any kind of stupor. “Akechi…”, Sojiro muttered under his breath, inaudible to the other, but loud enough for me to hear. The obvious shock confirmed my question of “is he dangerous or not?” Sojiro paused for the slightest of seconds before composing himself. Did the old man know him? I hadn’t heard of anything regarding him before.

Akechi took another sip of his coffee, “Do you two know each other? There seems to be some level of familiarity at least.”

“Yeah, kinda.” Sojiro said tossing the now dirty towel off to the side. He didn’t comment on anything more, afraid to give away too much information to someone he was suspect of. The news playing in the background continued to review the story of how President Okumura was murdered by a vicious Ghoul--dubbed with the nickname Joker. Akechi watched for a second, shaking his head. “I wonder, why target such a big head of operations out of the blue? I have no idea the extent of Jokers power, but it feels like a death wish, no?”

“How do they know it’s Joker?” I asked, hoping he’d slip, but from how he was talking, he was way too informative to fall for something so easy. Perhaps if I kept talking, I could find an error.

He looked gratified that I finally spoke up, “That’s a good question, but…I’m afraid I can’t answer that. They haven’t released it to the public, you see, as much as I enjoy these kinds of things.”

“You enjoy studying Ghoul cases?”

 “More or less. It’s what’s on the news the most these days, might as well be knowledgeable about it, yes?” He took one last swig of his drink, moving it to the side, “By the way, I still haven’t gotten your name.”

Sojiro opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when other customers walked in, talking among themselves about some weird guy shouting nonsense in front of the train station. At the same time, a weird jingle went off, distracting the question. Akechi dug into his pocket, pulling out a rather large smart phone, sighing as he looked at the bright screen. 

“Ah, work. I can’t get away from it,” He silenced the ring, getting up from his stool. He adjusted his jacket, straightening out the crinkles,“Well, I had a nice chat,” He said checking his pockets to make sure everything was intact,”Perhaps I’ll be back for more tomorrow. Have a nice rest of your day!” He said giving us a pleasant farewell smile. He walked towards the door, his posture straight and self-important. He glimpsed at me, his smile gentle, but his eyes…scanning me for an answer he wanted an answer to.

As Akechi walked out, the tight, discomfited, feeling in my stomach let up. I could finally breath without feeling like I was suffocating. Sojiro also relaxed his position, but whispered to me, “Stay here.”

I lazed in my chair, waiting for Sojiro to take care of the customers. What was that—rather, who was that guy? He said his name was Akechi, but the name didn’t ring a bell. If he was with the Ghoul Investigators, he was awfully young from what I was aware of. Most of the general workers were in their mid 20’s, the generic combat fighters were typically younger, but he didn’t have the appearance of being too experienced in battle--far too scrawny, although looks are often deceiving.

I rotated every fact I could think of trying to connect a piece to a large incomplete puzzle, to come to a solid conclusion, but nothing quite made sense. When I left, I needed to be careful. Who knows what could be waiting outside that door. It never hurt to be cautious.

Sojiro sent the people he was helping off with a grin, waiting till the door completely shut before shutting down the TV and turning his attention towards me again. Reclining back on the prep counter, he put a hand up to his mouth. His brow was furrowed, the wrinkles on his face more evident than ever. I leaned on the bar, sitting sideways on the stool. “So, did you know him? It sounded like you did when he mentioned his name.”

Sojiro hummed, taking off his glass and rubbing his forehead. “I’m not positive, it was a long time ago,” He opened his eyes, but kept his gaze fixated on the ground, “He would of just been a baby, but I heard he died with his mother in an accident. Although, if he had lived, he would be about your age.”

I clicked my tongue, “Sooo…If it is the same Goro Akechi, hypothetically, how did you know his mother?”

He crossed his arms, putting his glasses back on, “I didn’t know his mother, I knew his father and if it truly is the same kid…” he paused making eye contact with me again, “You best stay away from him.”

I waited for Sojiro to tell me more, but he was hesitant to do so. I wasn’t letting him get away with that.

“Who’s his father?” I asked sternly.

Sojiro took in a deep breath, shaking his head. His usual serious expression completely gone and replaced with a look of true concern. He didn’t want to tell me, but he knew that if he didn’t, I’d do something he’d regret being able to prevent.

“Shido. Masayoshi Shido. The leader of the Ghoul Investigators.”

* * *

I shuffled the bag in hand, it feeling heavier the more I carried it through out the day. My shoulder ached from the weight, screaming at me to just drop the thing and leave it. I tried switching it to the other shoulder, but it felt strange, my brain not accepting something different from the norm. Thankfully I was almost at my destination after a long train ride and walk.

The area became darker and more gritty, the so called economic class declining. Houses were more beat up with chipped paint and busted shingles, graffiti was sprayed on wherever it would stick, and garbage fluttered in the wind like leaves. The slow setting sun cast an eerie glow on the shackled buildings. Most people would be scared to travel to this part of the city, but I didn’t think much of it. No common thief could harm me anyways.

While the environment become more daunting, the humans became progressively less and less--and instead replaced by more and more Ghouls. They’d eye me as I passed by them, not recognizing me as a familiar face, but didn’t think of me as trouble, which is a good thing, as I didn’t want to start any drama. I never traveled this far, only to visit one friend out here on occasion. He usually did the traveling to marvel at how people with money could live.

I often got lost trying to find his tiny entry way–hidden by the other buildings. I made a habit to remember the large sign that hung above one of the local stores right across from it. This time, probably the first, I managed to find my way without issues. The door was awkwardly placed, having to go downstairs instead of the typical up. Living circumstances became rough and congested, so some housing became underground, but this was a perfect fixture for him.

I balled my hand into a fist, knocking on the door in a special rhythm to let him know it was me. He didn’t answer right away and I began to worry he might of stepped outside for once in his life. As I went to turn back around, I heard the door crack open. A tall, very thin man with dark blue hair stood in the door way, only half sticking his head out. He made sure not to open it too far, looking at me like I was someone new.

“Oh Akira. Your visit is…unexpected.” He said in a flat tone.

I bit my lip, confused by the graceless greeting, “Is now…a bad time?”

He looked behind him, then down at himself, attempting to wipe something off his purple shirt. He was anxious--This could only mean one thing.

 “Well, no and yes,” He murmured, “Although I’m sure you don’t mind the mess do you? It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, now has it?”

He walked away from the door, leaving it just open enough for me to slide myself in. I knew Yususke was a little weird, even in Ghoul terms, and I knew about his…eccentric hobbies, but he was acting stranger than usual right now.

I fully walked into his flat, spacious studio, and for the first time in a long while, I was caught off guard by the sight before me. I was used to his more tame pieces--You know, a few intestines sprawled out, a finger here and there, but I’d never seen him use a full body before. He posed it, bending at the knees and hands up in prayer, but around the wrists was a rope that held several other hands extending out ward like a bouquet. The skin was peeled down at the finger tips, stripped to the bone to make what looked like pedals. The mouth hung open, the tongue gorged out. Eye balls were placed randomly all over the body inside deep cuts that he must of done, making it look like it was apart of the skin. Finally, the spine was pulled slightly out of the back, arching in an inhuman way.

I swallowed a huge gulp, looking over at Yusuke who was standing off to the side, completely calm, tilting his head at his work. “I feel like there’s something missing from this, but I can’t figure out what.”

“I think it’s fine, absolutely fine.” I spat probably far too quickly, not even wanting to think about how many people he killed to accomplish this–and yet I was one of the top wanted Ghouls in the city.

“What…is this supposed to represent?” I asked genuinely curious, but also afraid at the inescapable lengthy response.

Yusuke gave me the fairest of smiles, couldn’t be happier that I asked. I felt my heart drop, not ready for this long winded answer, but I was here for him to do me a favor unannounced. I could at the least hear him out.

“Ah yes, I’m glad you asked–” He approached the structured body, gesturing to the entire pose–, “I thought I’d base this one off of human nature. I find their devotion to religion, to one god, so fascinating. The hands are like flowers, blooming, exquisite, the growth they so desire to be closer to their god as they clasp their hands together in prayer. The missing tongue is to show how, usually, these prayers go unanswered—and then this…!”

He continued on his escapade of explaining his work in much greater detail than I wanted to hear. I nodded when he looked my way to confirm I was still listening, although barely. His attitude sparked like fire compared to how he first reacted to me, his love of art burning brightly in his eyes. I glanced around, noting that nothing drastic had changed since the last time I was here. Still completely empty, with the exception of the bed in the corner and a long table that was heavily blood stained. There was also a jar of human fingers at the edge that he, I assumed, munched on like pocky. Some black curtains on the small windows, a fridge, that I have, and will, never open--I was much more a fresh meat kind of guy. At least this time there wasn’t a body with a spear sticking out of it on top—What he needed a spear for, I didn’t ask. The fact remained that, again, I was more sought after than he was, was something to ponder later.

Finishing his explanation, his eyes gazed downwards mildly embarrassed by his long rant. “Forgive me, that was rather rude, I didn’t even trouble to ask how you’ve been.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve been fine, I actually have a favor to ask.” I slung my bag off my shoulder, setting it on the ground. Yusuke, looked at me shuffle though it with narrow eyes, “Akira, I can smell that from here, its repulsive.”

I continued to wrench the cloth out of my bag, pulling out my trench coat and pants that I wear when doing anything of ghoulish nature. He thought blood was callous, as well as the taste of humans in general, which was ironic since he lived in a slaughter house, so I paid his comments no mind. He’d tried many alternative food options in the past, but alas, he couldn’t keep it down. He refuses to eat unless absolutely necessary, which is why he’s so impiously skinny.

“I just need you to fix it and get the blood out. I’ll get a human for you to torture later.”

“I don’t torture them!” He said absolutely appalled I would even suggest the idea.

I blankly stared at him, pointing to the creation he was just so proud to explain to me, “There was also the time I came over and you had someone still alive on the table as you pulled their teeth out.”

“Ah—well…they were in horrendous condition. I was doing them a favor.”

“Killing them, at that point, was doing them a favor.”

Yusuke tongue-tied, remissly picked up the garments I threw on the floor. He turned them over, scrunching up his nose in disgust, but took them to a corner of his apartment and threw them there for later. He exhaled, taking on a more serious tone than before.

“I haven’t left in some time, but I heard about Ann. I’m to assume this was from that incident?”

I nodded, not saying anything else. I still wasn’t ready to talk about what happened in detail, but Yusuke didn’t want to poke into my emotional affairs, knowing the feeling of losing someone close to him as well. It was a long time ago, but the pain never left him.

He shifted his stance, remaining quiet for awhile. “Akira, it’s no place of mine to dictate what you do with your life, but please be vigilante. You’re a dear friend of mine. I will support you in whatever way I can.”

“Thanks, Yusuke,” I said, feeling his genuine concern. He was a bit moonstruck, but his intentions were pure, and his words never mislead, “Same to you.”

He nodded his gratitude, “I should have your request done in a timely manner, perhaps two or three days from now.”

I picked my bag up off the floor, stretching a little before making my way towards the door, “Thanks, just drop them off at bosses for me.” I smirked, winking at him, “I’ll have your human ready for you by then.” 

As I closed the door, the tall man closed his eyes, “How uncouth…” He groaned, “Is that how he sees me?”

* * *

 Loud gunshots echoed in the small vicinity, the screams of helpless girls crying for help accented the bangs like a melody. One by one, they were quickly muffled by the undead smothering their bodies, ripping their throats out. The situation was dire, with little to zero chance of survival. Out of the corner came another, unseen enemy. They noticed all too late as the attacker sunk its teeth in the victims face, ripping off their lips, exposing the gums and teeth.

An angry blond teenager threw the plastic gun on the ground, frustrated at the big red GAME OVER status displayed on the screen.

“MAN, FUCK THIS. It’s impossible! I wasted too much money on this bullshit game!”

“Maybe you just suck.” a short, small boy, with black hair said without missing a beat.

“Shut up, Mishima! Last I checked, you were too chicken to even play this game.”

“Low blow, man, low blow.”

“And what you said wasn’t?”

Slanted back against one of the other machines, I was entertained at the two arguing in front of me. “Ladies, it’s not all that serious.” I sneered, stepping forward.

The blond clutched his heart in a gasp, his eyes wide from the blatant betrayal, “Akira! You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“I wasn’t on anyone's side.”  
  
The blond ruffled his hair and then shoved his hands inside of his purple jacket. He shook his pockets around, but no loose change wiggled free. “Well I’m broke. Looks like its time to leave, since you both spent all your money already.”

Mishima eye’d his phone, spotting the time, “Yeah, it’s getting pretty late. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to start heading back home.”

The three of us collected our things and stepped out of the arcade, the bright lights of the city mimicking the sun. Despite it being after hours, there were still a lot of people on the streets thriving in the night life. Anything ranging from couples, to raunchily dressed women, to drunk businessman after a rough day--Though, not too many high school students.

The doors slid shut behind us, not even a moment passed, before Mishima doe-eyed a group of older girls across the way, his eyes hopeful. “Hey, Ryuji,” He asked, “What do you think of them?”

“They’re girls?” Ryuji responded totally oblivious to the question, pulling his shoulder.

Mishima slapped a hand to his face, “No you idiot, do you think they’re cute or not?”

“Oh.” Ryuji took another look at the girls as they giggled and laughed about something unknown, “Idunno, I can’t really see ‘em”

Mishima rolled his eyes, “Are you sure you’re straight?”

Ryuji’s mouth hung open, astonished by the accusation, “Of course I am!”

I laughed, a small snort escaping my nose. Ryuji looked at me wide eyed, the thought of his best friend implicating him of lying to be absolutely profound. I waved him off, masking my mouth to stop the laughter. “I’m sorry, it’s just,” I had to take a breath to steady myself, “Remember that one time you gave me chocolate on Valentines day?”

Mishima couldn’t conceive what he just heard, “You did what!?” He yelled, causing others who were walking by to acknowledge our presence. Ryuji’s face flushed bright red within moments. It was an innocent gesture when he presented the chocolate, but if I had the chance to embarrass him--I was gonna do it.

“Dude, do you like Akira?” Mishima gawked.  

“Fuck no, I just didn’t want the chocolate some broad gave to me and--”

I raised my eyebrows at him with a smug grin, calling him out on his bullshit. He went silent, refusing to make eye contact with either of us. He spun around, walking away while stomping his feet, “Look, it was years ago! We were kids ok! Like I knew what giving chocolates to a dude meant!”

Mishima kept pressuring to snoop into Ryuji’s personal life, not knowing the boundaries of personal space. I followed behind them, smiling to myself. Ryuji and I had been friends since late elementary school, early middle school. While I was enrolled in school, I hardly ever went, dropping out in high school entirely. It was too difficult to keep up with, so I focused on home schooling myself--Which was much more productive anyways. Ryuji, being the delinquent that he was, skipped school a lot as well, so we’d hang out together during those times. We got into a lot of harmless fun, and while he was human, I didn’t consider myself closer to anyone else. We were honest with each other about everything…minus one, dare I say, little fact about myself.

The runt joined our bandwagon during early high school, while I was still attending. Apparently he looked up to us for some unidentified explanation. Other students just called us heathens, trouble makers, loafers, and other variations of the word, and left us at that. Mishima was the only one who maintained his grades and went to school every day, I had to question his morals when making friends to be satisfied with being called names like that.

They continued babbling at each other like an old married couple,occasionally mocking each other. I was so distracted, I barely noticed my phone vibrating in my pocket. I slipped it out and looked at the name blinking on the screen. I peeked at the text message quickly, then returned it into my pocket. Before I knew it we’d reached the street corner right before the train station.

“Sorry guys,” I said, “I gotta go get something for Sojiro. So I’m going a different route tonight.”

They both stopped their squabbling and looked at me. Mishima scratched the back of his head, pursing his lips, “Man, he’s been keeping you held up pretty often recently, what’s up with that?”

I shrugged, knowing he wasn’t the actual reason I’d been so absent lately, but that’s what I’d been telling them. “He’s technically my old man, I can’t exactly say no. He’s done a lot for me.”

Ryuji gave me a look, one I wasn’t sure how to interpret, “Yeah, but--” He held his tongue, deciding it was better not to say anything, “Nevermind,” He mumbled, “I just hope you’re doing ok dude.”

I nodded, motioning them off, “I’m sorry guys, I’ll hit you up later, alright?”

“You better, we need to hang out more. I get bored.” Mishima whined.

Ryuji’s eye slightly twitched, the thought of the train ride alone with the dark haired boy to be unbearable, “No one cares Mishima, lets go.”

Mishima, aghast, cursed something under his breath like he was ready to hex the blond. I laughed to myself again, walking across the street the opposite way, saying good bye one final time. I pulled out my phone once again, checking the message to ensure accuracy. It wasn’t Sojiro that has messaged me, but Futaba. She typed that it was important and to meet with her right away. I felt bad leaving the two early, especially after not seeing them for so long, but I’d hang out with them again soon enough, hopefully under better circumstances.

I made my way through the city, groups giving me curious looks as to why someone so young was out so late, especially by myself. I paid them no heed, making my way to the place Futaba told me to meet her. I looked up at the various buildings trying to spot a signal, but it was hard to see with the smog fogging up the rooftops.

Pacing my way further down, a green flash caught my eye. It was easier for her to see me, than it was for me to spot her. I looked around, checking to make sure I wasn’t being followed, or that there weren’t any other ghouls near by. I felt my phone go off again. Reading it, she confirmed the coast was clear from her spot up top the high, construction building. Her unappealing goggles came in handy for something, it seemed.

I walked inside the shoddy building, a bunch of metal and other large equipment lying around. I looked up, it being impossible to climb this without using one of my abilities. I sighed, taking off my shirt. I didn’t need another reason for Yusuke to bitch at me, although this was an easily replaceable shirt. Concentrating my focus onto my lower back, four hard and long flexible tentacles ripped out of my lower back. I lengthened them towards one of the bars above me, clasping onto it. I heaved myself up, leaping from one bar to the next till I reached the pinnacle.  

With the help of my extensions, I effortlessly climbed atop the roof building, the moon full and high in the sky. On the edge stood Futaba in her usual lime green outfit--Honestly I rarely saw her in anything else. I approached the edge, slipping my shirt back on and retracting the purple tendons to their natural resting place. I stood on the rim next to her out looking the metropolis. This was her favorite spot, admiring the life of the many she’d never know. She took in the scenery, cherishing the lights and sounds of the city life. It seemed to go on forever, like an ocean, with no end in sight. It was hard to imagine that so many people lived in such a small area.

Futaba, motionless, only slightly peeked my way, “I have some information on Ann’s death--Or rather, I know someone who has clues, but he wont give it to me so easily,” She sounded irked, “And neither will his subordinates.”

“Who is it?” I asked. It was unlike her to have trouble retrieving information, as she’d never failed me before. If he wasn’t giving info to Futaba, I’d be forced to see to him personally.

“You probably know of him, his name is Kamoshida.”

I sucked in a breath, knowing the name, but had never had the “pleasure” of meeting him. I was aware of his ploy’s and how he exploited women, and it wasn’t something I wanted to get involved with.

Futaba noticed me stiffen, but continued on, “Apparently Ann was hanging around him a lot before she died.”

“Why? He’s a sexual deviant.” I spat.

She shrugged, “I don’t know. We both know she wasn’t about that life style. He had his eye on her though. Perhaps that's what got her into trouble in the first place.”

 Kamoshida was a lowlife, but powerful Ghoul who only used his brute strength to woo other females. He absolutely refused to eat the brawn of a man, and insisted only on the finest and delicate of feminine meat. No one picked fights with him, as anyone who did ended up dead. He wasn’t one to talk much with other guys, unless it concerned business, but he’d make an exception for me--I’d make sure of it.

 I pulled out my phone, promptly dialing a number. Futaba turned away from her visual to watch what I was doing. She already knew the answer, but decided to ask anyways, “Akira, what are you going to do?”

 “I’m going to have a nice chat with Kamoshida,” I said, waiting for the person to pick up. They answered with a gurgle, like they were sleeping, mumbling a flat hello. “Hey, Yusuke, I’m gonna need that outfit by tomorrow, ASAP.” I said

 He didn’t sound too pleased with my sudden commands, groaning, and grumbling, “I should have known…” under his breath, but he complied with my last second request despite his obvious distaste towards the situation.

 Futaba frowned, the word “ick” stamped all over her face, “Oh my god, you still talk to Inari?” she gagged.

 I ended the call, smirking at her, “He’s not a bad guy, maybe you two could get along if you actually tried.”

 “Oh god, I can’t believe you just said that! Yuck! He literally plays with his food, and calls it art, that’s so messed up! Not to mention insanitary!”

 I laughed at how defensive she got any time Yusuke was brought up. Both of them were quirky in their own ways, yet they always argued about what was more retributive. She continued to go on and on about all his faults and odd behaviors--Things that made him socially inadequate as a person. It was a refreshing topic of conversation, something not somber, or thoughtful. It felt like I hadn’t laughed like that in a long while.

 While it was all good playfulness, I listened to her bluster, subconsciously preparing myself for tomorrows endeavor.

 

 Kamoshida--I will get answers.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kamoshida, yooooo~ What an asshole, am I right?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, i'm sorry this took so long haha;; Some serious stuff happened in my life that needed to be taken care of and I was exhausted. Regardless, FINALLY, HERE'S THE NEXT PART. It came out to be 20 pages long so i'm splitting it into two different chapters instead of one big clunky one...The next part will be uploaded soon! Hope you enjoy!

I dragged myself out of bed, my eyes still not wanting to open. The sun hit me directly in the face, making me wince at the metaphorical daggers stabbing me in the retinas. Lazily I got ready for the day and headed out for a quick stop to Sojiro’s. What he said weighed heavily on me when I laid down the night before. I recalled the conversation as he explained to me what—and who exactly Shido was. If Sojiro knew Shido personally, enough to know he had a kid, since that kind of information wasn’t made public about Ghoul Investigators—Much less the leader himself, what exactly was Sojiro then?

Boss never talked about his personal life and even less about the past. He’d just crack jokes and say he had hot dates with all sorts of different ladies, but anything of substance was minimal. The logical explanation was to assume he worked for Shido in the past, but then that raised a new question—What made him change his status against Ghouls to take two of them in? And if he did work for the Ghoul Investigators, did Akechi know this from his father and that’s why he’s decided to show himself at Café Le Blanc?

Question after question swirled in my head, only making it hurt. Regardless, if I could get close to Akechi, that would be my way into their headquarters. The only problem was, he already seemed to suspect me of high treason. Which could work in my favor…If played right.  
I’d been so deep in thought, I hadn’t realized I was already in the neighborhood of the bistro. Something pawed at my pant leg, their pitter patter foot steps following along with mine. I looked down and Morgana greeted me with narrow eyes, like he had read my mind.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked

Morgana tilted his ears back, mad I asked the question at all. I sighed, “Look I have no food for you this time, are you mad at me?”

The black cat emitted a low growl, me being the bane of his existence right now. I tried reasoning with him, but he only hissed at me, truly upset for not being spoiled. I didn’t know what else to do about it so kept walking. To my surprise, he kept trailing behind me all the way to the coffee shop, where he sprinted ahead and sat outside the door like a mascot, completely blocking my way in.

“Oh what now, you’re not gonna let me pass unless I feed you? You’re such a princess.” I said, crossing my arms.

The cat didn't budge to my hecklings, only kept his snooty aura about him. I don’t know how this cat became such a free loader, probably because he knows I’m a source of easy sustenance, but it was rather irritating how unthankful he was—Even for a cat.

I nudged Morgana out of the way so I could open the wooden door, promising to bring back food since boss often kept some spare cans in the back while I was gone for long amounts of time. Boss acted like he didn’t care, but deep down he was a soft soul.

As I walked in, Sojiro was busy cleaning up the shop, getting ready for the day and soon to be customers. To my disturbance, he merely grunted, cursing under his breath.

“Are you ever gonna feed that damn cat?” He bellowed, “It’s been howling outside my door for hours!”

“That’s what I came inside to get.” I assured, passing him and casually going into the back of the shop where he kept the spare coffee ingredients.

“Why don’t you just eat the thing? You can do that right?” He asked me for the millionth time. I had half a mind to ask why he didn’t cook it for dinner himself, but shook the idea away.

“Ehhh..cats aren’t the best substitute unfortunately.” I said remembering the tart and piss aftertaste. It took a second to spot the cans of wet food he liked to spoil Morgana with, but they were carefully and neatly placed on top of a shelf.

“…” Sojiro gradually took in that information, “So…you’ve tried cat before?”

I exited the room, closing the door behind me, “Well, it wasn’t exactly my idea…”

“Uh-huh.” Sojiro said not believing me for a moment. He shrugged his shoulders, “Listen, I don’t care what you eat, just as long as you don't die or its someone I know.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” I said leaving the store with the canned food in hand. If he had food, why didn’t he just feed him himself? The best bet was he wanted something to bitch about when I came in. Such a bitter old man…

Morgana was still squatting like a pompous asshole right outside the door. I strolled around him, trying to get him to follow me off to the side so we wouldn’t be blocking the entrance from anyone wanting to go in. I opened the can in my hand, the smell making Morgana perk up immediately and almost, only almost, look cute.  
I set the chow down over by the flowers, Morgana wasting no time shoving his face into the container before I could even get it fully onto the ground.

I patted him on the head, enjoying his pleased sounds of delight, when I saw a shadow move up from the corner of my eye. Of course, I got a faint whiff of that familiar smell before he was near to me. It wasn’t as strong as it was yesterday, which bothered me. Perhaps it was because we were outside.  
“Oh is that your cat?” He asked. I could feel the smile forming on his lips.

I looked up, not surprised to see Akechi again at what was becoming his favorite morning coffee spot. I pet Morgana, feeling the cat stiffen under my touch. He was on edge to the new individual, to the point he actually stopped eating for once in his life. He backed away from me slightly, only to keep a better watch on this unfamiliar person.

“Kinda. He’s just a stray that happened to take a liking to me one day.”

“I see.” Akechi said stroking his chin, “I’m much more of a cat than people person myself.”

“That makes two of us.” I said, steadily stroking Morgana’s head. He continually became more and more uneasy, the hair on his body standing up slightly. Akechi stooped down next to me, upset the cat wasn’t warming up to him. He took off one of his gloves, leisurely extending his pale hand towards the animal.  
“Perhaps if he smells my scent, he’ll relax more.” Akechi said, keeping his hand fixed. I watched, waiting for Morgana’s reaction. The cat tentatively pushed it’s nose forward, sniffing Akechi’s hand. He kept his nose there for a while, unsure if it appreciated the smell or not.

Akechi took the opportunity to pet Morgana, but apparently that was too soon, as the fur ball lashed out, batting at his hand with it’s paw, barring its sharp teeth. Akechi let out a yelp and snatched his arm back.

“Well,” Akechi said shaking his hand, “He’s not very friendly now is he?”

“Hnnk….” I snorted, stifling a laugh.

“I don’t understand what’s so funny?” Akechi asked staring at me dumbfounded

“Nothing, just…that scream.” I couldn’t contain myself much more as the laughs shook out of me.

It dawned on Akechi what had been so funny. He covered his mouth, his face brightening up. “Ah, well–I’m sure to you it might have been silly, but…” he trailed off unsure where he was going. Instead he just groaned, embarrassed at himself.

“Akira.”

“Excuse me?”

“My name is Akira.”

Akechi was slightly baffled at the sudden change in conversation. He seemed to have to take in what I just said, the first time I’d seen him display something real. “O-Oh, I see.” He said returning to his calm demeanor, “It’s nice to meet you, Akira.” He said, smiling his coy smile.

I nodded, standing up and stretching my legs. I decided to try and make casual conversation with him to try and keep the subject off me. Of course I could tell he was way too smart for that logic, so it would be best to play it by ear.

“So why are you here again? The coffee’s not that great.” I asked

Akechi seemed to think otherwise, “It has a certain charm to it, I’m rather fond after the one cup I had.”

I shrugged, “Tastes store bought to me.”

“Oh you jest.” Akechi laughed, also standing up and leaving the cat alone, “So if the coffee is so bad, why do you keep coming back?”

I was stumped for an answer. He didn't seem to be interrogating me like yesterday, it was just a curious question, but honesty was never my best policy, as it often bit me in the back, especially in a situation like this. I had to consider that whatever I was saying might also be heading directly towards Shido.

“I can’t leave the cat alone.” I said, nodding towards Morgana who had gone back to eating. Akechi hummed, still wary that he might be attacked. He stepped to the side just a bit, to give the cat more distance.

“Ah yes, that would be…” He tried thinking of the right word, but fell short, “…terrible.” Akechi adjusted his jacket, “So you said you knew the owner yesterday? How’s that?”

I shrugged, “Kinda, I do some work for him from time to time. Got mildly friendly because of it.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth, but that’s all you needed for strangers anyways.

“I see,” Akechi’s eyes shot down, his mood wavered slightly, “I wish I could make connections like that in my life, but,” He sighed, ruffling his hair, “Work keeps me too busy to establish any real friendships. It’s rather lonely.”

“That seems a little unbelievable.” I said

Akechi blinked, perplexed at my comment, “How so?”

“I…” I thought about how to word what I was thinking, “Well you’re not bad looking and can hold a conversation, it just seems strange. Must be some girls who want to talk to you at the least.”

Akechi held a hand up to his mouth, “…” he remained silent for a second, “I haven’t…really considered that.”

“Which part?”

“There is one girl I fancy, but she’s so refined, it seems like a stretch. I’ve tried asking her out to sushi before, but have, regrettably, been shot down. Otherwise, I guess I don’t look to see those kinds of things.”

“…You’re a weird one.”

Akechi merely looked at me, his grin returning to his face, “Well, I haven’t really talked about anything like this with someone before. It’s does feel unnatural, and rather…unprofessional of me.”

“So I guess that means we’re friends right?” I asked

Akechi’s mouth hung agape, the words gently lapsing in on him, “…Yes, I guess so.”

I flipped out my phone, checking the time. It wasn’t close to the time I had to leave, but if Akechi was sticking around here, I couldn’t talk to boss about what I had planned earlier. I’d save it for another day. It wasn’t information I needed immediately, but I did want answers to them soon. Although, hopefully Akechi would show up tomorrow as well, so I could keep this little ploy up. I couldn't tell what he was thinking at this moment, if he had the same idea as me, or was genuinely interested in some kind of friendship with me, either way, I’d have to make this work.

“Well, I’ve got to head out.” I said, closing my phone and tucking it away.

Akechi didn’t seem bothered by the information, just unfolded his arms and nodded.

“Sure, see you tomorrow then?”

“No promises.” I said, turning on my heel to walk away. Akechi hesitated before saying something else to my back.

“Well then, allow me to rephrase that, how about I’d like to see you tomorrow?”

I paused, not sure how to react to that.

 

“…Then I’ll try.” I said.

* * *

 

Instead of rendezvousing at Café le Blanc, I contacted Yusuke and told him to meet me in the crowded underground subway station. There were masses upon masses of people entering and exiting the trains, all looking entirely different from the other. It was a good place to not draw attention to one’s self, especially since Yusuke tended to stand out just for being tall and, to most, be extremely eye-catching.

I stood by some bright signs, leaning against the wall and scrolled through my phone while I lingered. Now that I thought about it, I hope he had subway fair.

I waited a long while, granted I did show up early, but it felt like an eternity. I thought about earlier with Akechi, unsure how to take that meeting or where to go with it. It was a very different feel compared to the previous morning. The initial, being sickening, and the second feeling more authentic and innocent. I couldn’t tell which one was the real him, if either of them were his true self at all. While I’d play the part of “friend”, it felt like his loneliness was genuine if anything--and even though I was hell bent on revenge, it felt wrong of me to play with someone’s emotions like that…but why would I care, they killed Ann, right?

I continued staring at my phone deep in thought, the screen reflecting off my glasses, as I heard a familiar voice.

“Akira? What are you doing here?”

I looked up, seeing red plaid pants and a bright yellow shirt. I blinked, not expecting to run into him, especially in a busy subway station. How did he even notice me?

“Oh,” I said, “I’m waiting for someone.”

Ryuji tilted his head, trying to make sure he heard me right, “Wait, you have other friends besides Mishima and I? And what kind of response is that?! No hello, just ‘Oh’.”

“I’m not like you, Ryuji. People actually like me.”

“Ouch.” Ryuji winced, “Harsh…and people like me! You like me right?”

I let out a long sigh, “Ehhhhh….”

Ryuji frowned, “Shut up you piece of shit. Some times I hate you.”

Laughing, I didn’t even notice the other person walking up behind us.

“Akira.”

I turned around to see Yusuke. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, dark circles starting to form under his eyes. He held a bag under his arm, what I assumed to carry my clothes. Everything he did took every last ounce of effort to do–Honestly I’m surprised he made it this far without collapsing.

He slung the bag off his shoulders, his arm like a rag doll and collapsing under the weight. I gently took the bag out of his hands, prepared to catch him if he fell, but he managed to remain standing, if barely. I set the bag down, putting a hand on his shoulder, “You alright there?”

He scrunched his eyebrows together in pain, covering his face, “There was so much–” he cut himself off before he slipped, “–stains.” he said.

“A day in the life, am I right?” I said picking the bag up so no curious on-goers would access it so easily. Yusuke wasn’t too thrilled at my answer, “The blatant disrespect you have to ones well being knows no bounds,” He said, “I should of–” He stopped completely silent, his gaze was elsewhere now. Highly confused, I turned to see what he was looking at.

“Is he the one?” Yusuke asked

Suddenly everything clicked. I went to address Ryuji, but then turned back towards Yusuke, to which I turned back towards Ryuji. Fluster and shock were plastered on my face, I was sure of it. Utterly speechless, for the longest, Yusuke looked at me eagerly, while Ryuji didn’t understand what was going on at all.

“I–No, oh no.” I said, attempting to push Yusuke away, “Oh no, no, no.” 

“But he smells delightful!” Yusuke whined, accepting my shoves and pacing backwards.

“What is he talking about?” Ryuji finally spoke up, “You sure talk to some weird people Akira.”

If only he knew how in danger his life was right now, he’d be thanking me for standing in the way playing guard duty. Yusuke, ignoring my sentiments, marched around me, gliding towards Ryuji. Any signs he had of being tired were now gone.

The blond became rattled as his hand was grabbed by the starry eye’d Ghoul, “Greetings, my name is Yusuke Kitagawa, and you are?”

“I–Uh…Ryuji….Sakamoto?” He stuttered trying to free his hand from the grasp the man had on him. Yusuke let go, but only to grip onto the others shoulders.

“Ryuji!” He exclaimed, “What a fine name! And what a–” He sucked in a huge breath– “Wondrous smell!”

Ryuji couldn’t make the slightest peep, the only sounds being “Eh” or “Uh”. I rushed in before anything else became out of hand, slapping Yusuke’s hands off of my best friend. He looked hurt and snubbed, but finally backed off, realizing his lack of self control. He didn’t get out much, so he didn’t know how to behave appropriately around humans, but this was an astonishment--especially since he thought all humans smelled like the epitome of death.

I exhaled. This is not how I expected today to start off at all.

The blond composed himself, finally free of the bewilderment. “I don’t want to know what that was, but please keep him away from me.”

And that I intended to do.

I told Ryuji to wait for me there, while I dragged Yusuke further down to scold him.

“What was that?” I asked, keeping my voice soft, but also hard enough so he could tell I was angry.

He twiddled his thumbs, looking down at the ground in disappointment, “That was…shameful. I am sorry…”

“You fucking should be. You were wayyyy too obvious.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it. He hunched over, suddenly appearing very small. “I just…I don’t know…I couldn’t control myself. I’d never felt such a rush of exhilaration before!”

I twisted my shoulder, the bag already getting heavy on my muscles. “Look, you’re my friend, but he’s also my friend and if you hurt him, I might have to hurt you. He’s off limits.”

“…I understand.” Yusuke mumbled, the sleep returning to his eyes “Although, if I may ask, why exactly did you need the outfit post haste?”

I turned my lip into a hard line. It wouldn’t be too smart to blab the details out in the open, especially since I didn’t know who was on his side or not. While I trusted Yusuke, I needed to also take steps to not get myself killed.

I shook my head, “I can’t talk about it here.” I said.

Yusukes eyes dithered, but he merely nodded and accepted the fact.

“Remember what I said, Akira. Don’t rush into anything stupid.”

I only smiled at him in response, deciding to end it there. I would feel bad sending him home after traveling so far out on what little money he had, especially after doing me such a huge favor. I hated being such a nice guy hidden deep behind the thick sarcasm and sass. Maybe I was more like Sojiro than I thought.

“Did you want to accompany me to go see Iwai later?” I asked

Yusuke froze, the name sending a chill down his spine, “Oh…” he swallowed a lump in his throat. He mulled the invitation over in his head for a moment before speaking up again, “I…I suppose I could.”

The last time we both visited together, some months ago, Yusuke got the bright idea to try and “help” Iwai clean his shop and make everything “comelier”, so to speak. While Iwai’s attention was elsewhere, he delicately put things in a more artistic order, but…that didn’t end so well.

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.” I said.

Yusuke tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear, “If…If you’re sure.”

I turned back around to Ryuji, who surprisingly was stagnantly standing there—still looking dumbfounded. I shrugged, when he tried asking what that was about, but couldn’t get the words out.

“It’s no big deal,” I shushed, “He’s just weird, might be because he’s an artist.”

At the mention of the word artist, something went off in Ryujis head like that explained everything.

“Oh, so did he want to draw me or something?”

“Uh…Er—something like that.” I could only imagine what sick ideas actually went through Yusuke’s mind.

Ryuji giddily grinned to himself like he just heard the best news of his life. “I always knew I was attractive.” He jeered

I covered my face and rolled my eyes. This was all I was going to listen to for however long I decided to remain friends with him. Maybe I actually would let Yusuke have his fun with him. Finally he’d shut up.

“Anyways,” I said, cutting into Ryuji’s little bubble, “I did promise to hang out with him, so I’m going to have to ditch now.”

“That’s fine.” Ryuji said, stretching his arms, “I’m meeting up with Mishima anyways, we’re supposed to go to some comic thing.”

“Wow, so this is why you guys are single.”

“Shut up!” Ryuji stomped his foot on the ground, “Anyways, I’ll text you later, make sure you’re not dead and all.” He took another glance at Yusuke, who was looking even paler in the face than usual.

I chuckled, feeling a sudden guilt in the back of my head.

 

This was probably a bad omen.

* * *

 

Finding Iwai was always something of an exploration and maze crawler. Traveling down several alleys and close together buildings, the skyscrapers hid the light of day. It was consistently dark and gloomy approaching the shop, never failing to feel shady in every dictation of the word. No one ever ventured back here, except the occasional weirdo and Ghoul, but as usual, tumble weeds blew in the wind. Being in Japan, no one had use for real weapons except police officials and underground mafias, so most of what he carried wasn’t real anyways, but he made exceptions…

Yusuke lagged after me, holding himself with his arms, darting his eyes from one side to another. It had been some time since he’d last been here with me, but I’m sure the...unfortunate incident from last time was replaying in his head. Honestly, I’m surprised he agreed to come with me. 

“Do you think he still remembers?” Yusuke asked softly

“Idunno.” I said stopping outside the shop, “That’s a coin toss, but, knowing Iwai, he’s got the memory of an elephant.” I reached to open the door “I guess we’ll find out.”

Yusuke grumbled, the guilt taking over him. A cool air hit my face, as we walked into the dark lit store. Apparently he hadn’t taken the liberty to fix one of the lights from last time, as it flickered on and off spastically. The place was so cluttered with weapons and suits of armor that it was hard to move around without the fear of impaling yourself. Thankfully the two of us were skinny enough to squeeze through the mess.

As usual, a man with light facial hair and a lizard tattoo on his neck sat behind the counter. He was reading a magazine and rolling a lollipop in his mouth, something you could mistake for a cigarette. As the bell jingled to our arrival, he glanced up, holding his stare.

“Oh.” He grumbled “You.” Resuming reading his magazine

“Don't sound so enthused.” I said not surprised by his retort.

“I thought I told you before that—“ He trailed off as he regarded Yusuke behind me. Yusuke stopped dead in his tracks, not saying a word. He was scarcely able to keep eye contact with Iwai as he wanted to descend behind me and into the ground.

Iwai immediately put down his magazine and pointed his lollipop at the lanky boy, “What the hell is he doing here—“ He stalled shaking his head, “Nevermind, don't answer that. Get the hell out of my store.”

“Looks like he remembers.” I said, sneering at Yusuke.

Yusuke sighed, gesturing to the entire store, “But can you blame me? This store is not at all set up aesthetically pleasing in the slightest! I was assisting you!”

“By touching the weapons and putting a hole in my wall.” Iwai said not taking his eyes off Yusuke. Yusuke winced as we both observed the crater, that was also, still there. 

“Now, I don't know what about a weapon shop needs to be aesthetic to you, but you’re lucky I don't put a hole in you.”

Yusuke stared at the tile in defeat, not bothering to argue knowing the battle was already lost. Iwai leaned back in his chair, resting his feet up on the counter, gazing at me once more, “And what the hell do you need?” he probed, sticking the lollipop back in his mouth.

“I need those daggers I dropped off like a week ago.” I said stepping up to the counter in front of him.

Iwai thought for a moment, “…Mmmm…pulling another stunt are you? What’s it this time and do I get anything from it?”

“That’s classified and no.”

“…” Iwai clucked his tongue, irritated at my unwillingness to distil information. Despite that, he got up, going into the back of his shop. We heard the shifting of objects, presumably boxes, as he tried finding what he was looking for. Yusuke eyed the cluttered mess of weapons, resisting the urge to rearrange the store. I was surprised Iwai left him alone with how furious he was last time.

Within a few moments, Iwai stepped back out with two sheathed switchblades in hand. He held onto them, not meeting my eyes. 

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but I can smell blood lust from a mile away. Seriously kid, what’s going on?” He asked

I hesitated, scanning the store. Iwai wasn’t exactly loyal to anyone, he was a true neutral in the middle of everything, only looking out for his own gain and to not get on anyone’s bad side, but at the same time, I felt I could trust him as he looked out for me on various occasions. My guess is he had a soft spot for the rebel kids. He wouldn’t rat me out so easily, if at all. 

I sighed, “I’m going to see Kamoshida.” I said reaching out to take the blades from him.

He wasn't satisfied with that, pulling the weapons even further from me. 

“Are you nuts?” he asked, “Kid, you can’t just go in there a deal with shit that's way bigger than you.”

“This wouldn’t be the first time.” I said, not moving my hand to take the arms.

“No, but Kamoshida is different from what you’ve dealt with before and from your alibi, I assume you’re going alone, since sharp shoot here has such great aim.” He said pointing to Yusuke with the knives. 

Yusuke sighed, knowing he’d never live that down. “Why did he even have a loaded weapon on the floor anyways…” he mumbled to himself.

Iwai ignored him, “Look, I know where your head is at, I’ve been there, but I don’t want to see you get killed.”

“Awh, you do care.” I teased.

“….” Iwai closed his eyes before handing over the daggers into my outstretched hand, “Whatever. It’s none of my business.”

I quickly took the weapons and shuffled them into my bag with the rest of my outfit. With that, I was finally set to make my move. I nodded to him my thanks, quickly turning to leave before he could say anything more. Yusuke didn’t hesitate on exiting before I could tell him to move. As I closed the door behind me, Iwai took off his hat, scratching his bare head.

“Be careful kid…” he sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andddddddd~~~ Here we are! Fight, Fight, Fight!!! This took a lot longer to edit than I thought it would as...action scenes can get redundant real quick...I tried to avoid that...;;; Anyways enjoy!

Kamoshida’s house? No, more like Kamoshida’s castle.

I crept up towards the large, gaudy, building, adjusting my white mask to see better; The night being my cloak. Black gothic gates surrounded the entirety of the structure, but between here and the front gate was a large flat yard, which could make even the smallest of creature visible. Humans had abandoned this place long ago, but Kamoshida had taken it over as a subversive Ghoul fortress. I was unaware if the Investigators knew about this, as he’d been pretty stationary for a while. He wasn’t one to conceal his crimes, but maybe they couldn’t find a way to get through—Or maybe they didn’t care, which would be bizarre.

Before I could get close, I got visuals of other Ghouls walking around, watching vigilantly for any suspicious activity. This would be difficult, but not impossible. Starting fights I didn’t need to wasn’t my intention, my only dispute was with Kamoshida, but it might not be avoidable….

Fanning out my coat behind me, I stooped down behind a brick wall to spy on the area. I counted how many Ghouls were walking around. As far as I could tell, there were 8 total, more could be hidden and I highly anticipated there to be a backup squad not too far in the stronghold, especially for a wanted Ghoul like Kamoshida.

Surveying the landscape, I spotted an easy way in, but I wouldn’t know where I’d land once inside. As to be expected, there was a guard standing watch there, but he didn’t look to be too much of a problem. I’d try to make him my only casualty—key word being try. It usually never worked out that well.

Keeping my head low, I circled the outside of the gate till I came to the side I needed to be on. Up high there was a broken window I could undoubtedly fit into, it was getting that elevated without being noticed that was the issue. I’d have to make this as quick as I could.

Slowly and patiently I waited till the other guards weren’t looking in this general direction. When that slim moment bore itself, I seized the instant and rushed forward, my speed being unnaturally high as it was, even by Ghoul standards. The other Ghoul didn’t have time to record what had materialized before him, as I took one of my tentacles and swiftly severed his head. It rolled onto the ground as his body collapsed with nothing further to pilot it.

While it wasn’t keen to leave the murder where it ensued, I had even fewer seconds to hide it. While they would stand around in their stupor, I could make my way further into the base to complete my mission.

I readied my appendages, preparing to climb my way up, when a high-pitched alarm sounded all around.

“What?” I whispered to myself, bemused. I had checked every inch of this before hand. There were no invisible alarms or cameras!

A small red light caught the corner of my eye. I looked at the vest previously belonging to the guard, a small button flickering in the darkness. He must have managed to press it before I could act…

Shit.

Footsteps echoed from all around as the other Ghouls that were wandering around outside made their way to my position. They shouted orders at each other, screaming about an intruder and other words I couldn’t quite understand.

“So much for one casualty…” I mumbled.

Drawing the daggers out of my coat, I held one in each hand. The Ghouls all seemed to be the same as me, being Rinkaku’s, so I’d have to watch out for agility-based moves, but from the way they handled themselves, I suspected I didn't have much to be concerned about. I twisted my neck, bothered that I had to deal with these small fry, but it was my own blunder--I had to suffer the consequences.

The first one to reach me, feebly charged straight for my upper body. Moving being unnecessary, I split his head from his shoulders before he could get close enough to do any real harm, the blood splashing against my mask. The body fell with a hard thump in front me.

“One.”

The second came from above, hurdling off the roof and plunging down with their tentacles straight forward, intending to pin me into the ground. I used my own scales to grab onto theirs, tossing them into the dirt. Before they had the chance to recover, I ran over sinking my knives into their skull with a hard crack and twist. Yanking my weapons out, red dripped down the blades and onto the grass.

“Two.”

Two more were coming for me from both sides, furious I was making child’s play of them. One shot into the air to come at me from above, while the other ducked down low. The one above left far too many openings, as I plowed my tentacles into his legs, swirling him over my head, and slamming him down onto the other. I used more vigor than usual, feeling, as well as hearing, both of their spines snap in a cloud of soil.

“Four.”

The lingering ghouls yet to face me remained alert, eyeing my movements. I flicked a blood-covered dagger, cleaning the blade of any loose blood, as I motioned for them to come at me with it. Not biting to my insults, they only seemed to map out more of a plan in their head as to how they were going to assault me.

I sighed, putting the daggers away. I felt bad, Yusuke having done such a good job on fixing this outfit up, only for it to be sullied so fast and so soon.

Sauntering forward, I approaching the spooked Ghouls.

“If you’re not gonna come to me,” I said, pulling on my favorite bright red gloves to tighten them around my fingers, “Then I guess I’m gonna have to come to you.”

* * *

 Entering the castle was a lot easier than expected. There were far less enemies than I had anticipated, which relieved, but also concerned me. The halls were completely empty; I didn’t sense a single soul as I traveled down the long engaging granges. It was calm on the inside, and had plenty of moonlit lighting. Along the sides of the wide passages were various statues of nude women, something I wasn’t surprised about, but also couldn’t wrap my head around. It was a no brainer as to why Kamoshida took this as his base, it was spacious and felt fit for a king, which I’m sure he viewed himself as for the moment.

Making my way further down one of the back ways, I heard the faint sounds of casual conversation and laughter. Curiously, I stood in front of an old massive door, something that must have been built for looks rather than functionality. It had hand carved detailed sculptures etched into the wood, something to be admired by anyone who laid eyes on it. Compared to the rest of the deteriorating building, this was the most well kept arrangement.

Not wanting to destroy what little renaissance art there may be left in the world, I tenderly thrust the gates open.

Stepping through the massive door; the creaks of the frames echoed down the chamber, announcing my entrance. The first thing I discerned was all the crimson—Long red carpet, red curtains, red lighting, deep spattered red stains. Even the very light that shinned in the bleak building was filtered to be a rosy color. It messed with my eyes, but they quickly became adjusted to the uncanny atmospheric setting.

A strange smell made me cock my head upwards for a brief moment, it’s odor profusely strong. Hanging above were innumerable mutilated bodies, all tormented a different way than the last. Some had crushed heads and limbs absent, others with their stomachs torn out or nothing but a minced chunk of organs. It enlightened the grievous mess on the floor--as they probably hung there to dry.

Down at the end of the extensive room was a man with thick black hair and a hefty build in a basic white t-shirt. He sat on a makeshift throne, one leg slung over the ledge of the chair and the other widespread off to the side. Four striking female ghouls laid over him, absolutely smitten in his presence. Upon my intrusion though, their heads lifted and turned to me in dismay.

Kamoshida, not in the least alarmed at my entry, merely looked me up and down like a pest.

“Well, well…” he mused, taking one of his arms from around the lasses and inclining his head on it, “Someone managed to get past my guards.”

“Oh,” I extended one of my hands forward from behind my back, “You mean these?”

Taking the weight in my hand, I threw it boldly as three separate heads bowled onward towards Kamoshida’s feet. The blood from their necks sprayed the floor and carpet, although it was hard to tell the new blemishes from the old ones. Kamoshida observed the heads turn till they came to a halt, the distorted faces making the girls flinch—Which, out of all the things in this room, that’s what frightens them?

Kamoshida was unnerved at the sight before him, on the contrary, he seemed rather excited.

He whistled, impressed at my work, “Would you look at that!” He exclaimed, “Got a tough guy here!” He chuckled, spanking the ass of one of the adolescents and gripping it in his fingers.

“Quit fucking around.” I said slowing my pace.

Kamoshida’s smile fell flat. He felt along the curves of the girls around him, twirling a lock of blonde hair around his finger.

“That’s no way to speak in front of the ladies--now is it?” He cooed, stroking another ones back. They eased into him, resting their head on his chest like love struck teenagers, feeling shelter and security in his touch.

“I want to know something.” I said, not giving a damn about what he was jesting at, “I want to know about Ann.”

That elicited a response from him as he slackened his fondling. He gaped aimlessly before making eye contact with me again, “You know, I heard about a rat trying to dig up information about that…” His eyes constricted on me, “Since it wasn’t given up, I suppose that person sent out their big guns, is that right?”

“That doesn’t matter,” I spat, “You’re either going to give me what I need to know, or I’m going to strip your tongue and make it talk for me, attached or not.”

Kamoshida was soundless for a moment, before letting out a hearty laugh, “I like your spunk kid, but do you know what you’re dealing with? Even the Ghoul Investigators don’t fuck with me.”

“I’m not an Investigator.” I scorned.

“No.” Kamoshida said, pushing himself off the seat. He hushed the girls, who expressed their concerns for him, giving them sweet words before stepping down.

He jabbed a finger in my direction, pointing at me, “No, what you are is just some Ghoul kid playing hero.”

The nerves on my lower back itched, ready for a bout, but I wasn’t going to initiate something that might not be there. I monitored his posture and movement, waiting for anything to give him away, but he didn’t present the willingness to contest—At least, not at the moment. Regardless, I kept myself wary.

He crossed his arms over his broad chest, stopping at the end of his stairs. “What do you wanna know?” He asked.

“Why was Ann targeted?” I questioned.

Kamoshida snapped his fingers, “Oh, right to the point!” He took his last step down, now on even ground with me. He paced the floor, not moving towards me, but away and around. He was encompassing me like prey, waiting for the right moment to shoot for the kill.

“She made herself a target, that’s all there is to it.” He said continuing to circle me, “She didn’t control herself and the Investigators had to eliminate her. Sound about right?”

“She was hanging out with you before she died, are you not somehow at fault?”

“Not at all, kid.” He shrugged, “She came here of her own accord, asking questions just like you. Although, I was more willing to answer her, what with that hot bod she had.” He hooted, “It’s a shame I couldn’t get my hands on it before she–”

I slammed a tentacle into the ground, shaking the floor and cracking some of the concrete “Don’t you dare talk about her like that.”

Kamoshida resolved his pacing, ogling the damage I did to his floor. He was indisputably impressed, “Well, looks like you’re not all talk after all.” he said.

“I’m tired of you beating around the bush.” I growled, “Answer me.”

Kamoshida put a hand on his hip and chuckled, “To be honest, Ann didn’t even die at he hands of the Investigators.”

“What?”

“While they were after her, and wounded her critically, they didn’t deal the finishing blow. She did that herself.”

“Suicide?” I asked. That didn’t sound like something Ann would do, but--

Kamoshida shook his head, “Nah, not exactly, she couldn’t control her power. Something we both share.”

“You both?” What was he talking about? I couldn’t make any sense of his words. Kamoshida obviously had no intention of directly answering my questions, only speaking in riddles.

He grinned, pleased with himself. Whatever he was up to, I could sense something wasn’t right about him. That’s when I smelled it. That same awkward scent that I couldn’t get out of my nose when I was around that guy—Akechi.I scrunched my snout, my mouth getting a bad taste of it, as something else reacted in my body--and fuck, did it hurt.   
  
I grinded my teeth together, trying not to let my discomfort slip, but nothing got past Kamoshida. He tilted his head, circling me once more, “Oh…this IS interesting.” He sneered.

“What is?” I grunted.

“Although…” He thought to himself, “How would you not know?”

The throbbing swelled in my gut, a thin sweat breaking on my brow. My heart was in a frenzy. I couldn’t control myself or my body as well as I’d like to. Kamoshida hummed to himself, watching the pain increase in me with every step. He commenced getting closer now and I didn’t like that. What did he do to me?

“I can’t exactly have you run free now that you have your answers.” He said mockingly, running his tongue across his lips, “I don’t intend to keep you alive, especially after what you did to my men, as replaceable as most kinsmen are.”

The friendlier he got with me, the more my entire body pulsated. My eyes shook and I couldn’t focus on one spot for long. I was fine until a few moments ago. What was happening to me? My entire body was on fire, heat contracting in my throat like I’d breathe fire at any moment. Saliva built up in my mouth, drops seeping over my lips. My mouth hung agape, like a dog panting to cool down.

Food caught in my throat as I coughed and covered my face. Kamoshida was too close for comfort. A demon caressed my head, trying to claw its way out of my skull and I wanted to vomit, the agony only increasing. I wanted to keel over, but that would mean certain death in an instant. I had to remain standing. I couldn’t let him win over me. If anything this encounter only raised more questions for me to ask. It seemed like he had an idea as to what was wrong with me, but, again, he had no will to answer.

Strong scales molded around his arm, emerging out of his lower shoulder blade. So, he was a Koukaku type, I should have guessed with his brawn and physique. The scales wrapped completely around his arm, forging into a long blade at the end. The build was heftier than what I’d seen from his breed before; it definitely something to be dreaded. Scrapping against the floor as he approached me, he wasn’t concerned with a counterattacking, a huge and corrupt smile painted on his face.

Fucking move, move, move, move, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!

Screaming inside my head, I hoped that whatever was going on would listen to me and calm down.

Kamoshida towered over my head, making direct eye contact with me. He raised his blade, slowly, prolonging my death as long as he could. He wanted to see me panic, beg, drop to my knees and grip onto his calf, pleading for my life, but I kept my stance, unmoving. I wouldn’t falter to his affronts—This was nowhere near over.

Kamoshida whispered something inaudible. By the time I understood, he swung his arm towards my neck. Promptly, my tentacles smashed into the ground, projecting me backwards and into the air, the end of Kamoshida’s vane just grazing my neck enough to gorge a slight wound and show the beginning of muscle. I gagged, the opening off putting against the air, but this I’d have to quickly grow accustomed to for the time being.

My evasion delighted Kamoshida, his face glowing with amusement. He paced into a run, using his own ability to launch himself in the air after me. “And where do you think you’re going?!” He yelled, “If it’s a fight you want, you’re gonna get it!”

Landing with a stumble, I hurriedly evaded once more as Kamoshida drew out his bludgeon, intending to stick me face first into the ground. Hopping to the side, he crashed into the hard tiles, it completely breaking under his impact. He didn’t hesitate to yank his arm out of the pulverized earth to chuck another blow at me. He was a lot faster than I expected, especially for a Koukaku type, it rivaling that of mine.

His arm flew over my head as I ducked under. Seeing an opening to hit his lower half, I hurled one of my tentacles into his torso, but he used his shielded arm to obstruct it. As he blocked that, I used a different tentacle to confront his other side. Expecting to land a hit, Kamoshida’s eyes changed, them glowing a bright yellow instead of the customary black with red pupils. The knock hit a hard surface, reflecting right off the arm. Startled, I used all my feelers to recoil back, gaining more distance from Kamoshida.

He didn’t pursue after me, merely adjusted himself to stand up straight. Waiting for the dust to clear from his onslaught, I regained my balance. The gash in my throat was already tying itself back together, my recovery rate being exceptionally high.

Seeing him clearer, I bit my lip, alarmed, but also intrigued by what I saw.

“So,” I said, spreading my limbs out behind me, “You have two. That’s interesting.”

Both of Kamoshida’s bulky arms were fully obscured with shiny purple muscle, together they extending into, not one, but two, long swords I had to be cautious about. Normally, the weight of one would have been enough to stagger a Ghoul, but the solidity of two didn’t phase Kamoshida in the slightest as he stood up, bight eyes burning into me.

Kamoshida guffawed, cracking his neck, “Oh come now, I know you have two as well, why you playing games with me?” He drew back one of his Koukaku’s, winding his shoulder. I glared at him, not allowing him to goad me.

“I know who you are now.” Kamoshida said, walking around me like he was before, “You’re that kid making a huge fuss with the Investigators.” He put his free hand up to his face, stroking his chin, “Joker, was it? Nice stunt you pulled with Okumura. I only wish I’d done it myself.”

“So…I’m still some punk kid?” I chuckled.

Kamoshida shook his head, “You are, but you have potential, more than I’m sure you’re aware of.” He prolonged stroking his chin, thinking to himself, “Even so, you’re going to need more than that if you want to take on the big guys.”

“That’s what I was told about coming here, but I still made it didn't I?”

Kamoshida cackled, “Haha! Yes! Yes, I love that fighting spirit of yours! It makes me—“ he cracked his neck again, his face distorting mildly into something inhuman. I had to blink to confirm I was unmistaken. He rotated his jaw, sharper teeth than the ordinary showing through his sneer.

“It makes me want to tear you to pieces!!”

I felt it, I felt the wave of blood lust—and it was all directed at me.

Stabilizing my legs, Kamoshida charged for me. I scarcely had time to draw one of my daggers as he went to hit me firmly. Stepping to the side just in time to dodge him, his solid hit devastated another cavity into the floor. It was challenging reading his actions, as he was ridiculously fast. I wasn’t accustomed to feeling this equal in speed, and even worse, someone who was wild as well as burlier than me.

He tugged his arm out before I could properly contend, aiming at my legs. I leaped into midair above the sweep, using my tentacles to aim for his head. He slid to the side, the ends just grazing his face. It was hard for me to fight so close to my enemy, literally feeling the heat off of his body. I had to create a gap, but he kept closing that before I could register what to do. Like he knew what I was planning to do--That allowing any kind of distance would be an instant disadvantage to him.

Kamoshida threw both arms up at me, but I used my dagger to latch it into his hardened muscle. I knew it wouldn’t do much impairment, but I used it as a sort of leverage to flip myself into the air above his head. With all of my tentacles free, I belted down, aiming for his bare shoulder. He attempted to release his other Koukaku, but I was too fast for him as two of my spikes pierced his skin. He roared, as I flipped over, taking him with me and blasting him into the ground with all my strength. His weight put strain on me, my lower back screeching more than it already was, but it wasn’t something I could think about right now.

I drew my tentacles back, twisting around to lock him in place, but he had managed to get up hastier than I could turn. I felt the rush of his attack swipe past my face. I dipped down, realizing I had two arms to worry about now, as I just barely escaped his next strike. With how he was throwing his punches, any one of these hits could be extremely fatal.

He favored brute force over any kind of strategic play, slamming his arms around to create a bigger scene than what was actually happening--his size giving the illusion of a wider attack. While he was strong, these attacks effortlessly able to break bones, it could be easily exploited.

He kneed me roughly in the stomach, catching me off guard as I blocked his arm, taking the air out of my lungs. I coughed, seeing the blade flying towards my face from the corner of my eye. Reluctantly, I lifted my arm, the weight feeling like a boulder against my shoulder. Kamoshida’s eyes went wide, as his collision landed, sending me flying and tumbling on the ground. I clung to the tile, slowing my fall, as I gained space from him once more. That kick felt like it tackled every inch of my body, single handedly punching each organ in my body.

Kamoshida kept his grin on his face, blood gushing out of his shoulder from where I struck him beforehand.

“So…there it is…You also have a Koukaku.” He said observing my arm.

I sucked in a breath, holding my arm up. It wasn’t as developed as Kamoshida’s was, being significantly more lightweight, but it held up as a useful shield in situations like this. It took a lot of energy to use both jointly, rapidly making me fatigued, so I rarely used them as a tactic, relying on the minimal as default.

“That’s interesting…” he said, “I wonder if you have any others.”

“That’s not your concern.” I said, realizing I had cuts in various places I wasn’t aware of.

“Haha, you look a little out of breath there kid, wanna call it quits?”

I flicked the blood that was on my tentacles to the ground, “I think you’re scared for your life now.”

“Awh come now,” he clucked, “You won’t get your answers like that.”

“I imagine you’re not going to give them to me anyways.”

Kamoshida shrugged, “It’d be boring if I did, I mean, we’re having so much fun aren’t we?” His eyes flashed, lustfully looking at me. He licked his lips, “You know, I haven’t ever tried the blood of a ghoul like you before, especially a male. It might be interesting.”  
  
I twirled the dagger in my hand on the tip of my finger, “Well, why don’t you come over here and try it?”

Kamoshida’s grin expanded as he accepted the invitation, sprinting for me at record speed. He threw punch after punch, each one faster than before. I felt bombarded, and sloppy, as I had to focus on eluding rather than offensive measures. He fared well, nicking me a few time in random areas, but I also managed to prick him, some digging deep into his flesh than others. We kept at this charade for a while, my breath feeling heavier and heavier as time went on. I couldn’t keep this up, but Kamoshida wasn’t fazed at all. I understood why other Ghouls feared him--his stamina was unreal.

He wedged one of his blades into my thigh, making me cry out, but I swiftly knocked him off from doing more damage with my appendages, tossing him to side. I pulled back, the cut completely tearing a muscle making it unbearable to stand. My knee gave out from under me, as I fell to the ground. I heaved in a breath, the pain from before still throbbing in my skull on top of the fresh wounds. I clenched my fist together, frustrated.

Kamoshida darted over, not allowing a second to go wasted. He was aiming to finish this right now, probably tired of these antics, wanting to return to his dandling, but—No. This is what I needed.

Biting my lip through the pain, I stood, waiting for his rush. He didn’t view me as a threat, only as an easy kill, and that’s where his mistake would fall.

Kamoshida closed in, bringing his arms together at the same time intending to slice me in half. At the last possible second, I unleashed my shielded arm to block one of his attacks and then two of my tentacles to block the other. Barely able to use my free hand, I sunk the knife I held square into his chest, dragging it down and creating an opening. His white shirt quickly turned red as the blood leaked from the gash.

Kamoshida howled, whacking me away from him. I lurched back, expecting another assault, but it didn’t come. My legs buckled from under me, unable to support my mass. I surmised the rest of this fight would be a difficult one with such a bum leg.

The dark haired man looked at his chest; shocked I could make a wound so deep. Fury crossed his face, all remains of being rational completely out the window. He glared at me, upset at his lack of foresight, but also at me being faster than he could manage, if only barely.

I knew that now was my only chance to end this.

He rushed forward, storming after me, his wrath blinding him. I hunched down, waiting for the right moment. He approached me, closer, and closer, and closer. He lifted both of his arms in the air and I saw my opening. Using all the strength left in my legs, I sprinted forward, ignoring the pain. I bobbed under his arms, the sharp ends so close, they knocked the mask off my face, cutting under both of my eyes, but—I had a straight view of his torso. Extending my tentacles straight in front of me, I felt them make contact with hard flesh, soon hitting air again. Warmth dripping off of them, suddenly everything was silent.

Taking in shallow breaths, my lungs exploding from the air like I hadn’t breathed the entire time.

I did it.

His heart beat against my limbs, them sticking straight out of him like a spear. The girls, who had been quite until now, gasped covering their mouths, as their leader, or whatever they thought of him, was skewered. I half expected them to come to his aid, but they continued to sit there, perhaps pampered too much to know anything about fighting.

Kamoshida gagged, coughing up blood onto my scales. His neck went limp as it flopped to the side, his yellow eyes narrowed on me, the blood staining his teeth.

“Y….You……..” He growled.

Yanking my tentacles out of him, hunks of organs wetted me, and the floor, but he didn’t fall. His legs shook, ready to give out, but---

“Hm…Heh…Hehehehe….”

He snorted, somehow finding a way to breathe. It was weak, but then turned crazed. I knew better than to accept my victory just yet, remaining vigilant at the new look on my adversary’s face. Cautiously, I backed away, his eyes glowing brighter than before, the yellow imitating the sun, as he bent over folding in on himself.

Choking on more blood, his entire body was on the verge of collapse. Pulling back his Koukaku, he unclenched his fist and swept his arms wide.

“I always wanted to try this out!” He screeched.

“What are you—?” I mumbled, as a loud popping noise interrupted my thought.

It started with his shoulders, snapping and cracking, but then his entire being contorted into weird, awkward, shapes. My gut clenched, watching the transformation before my eyes. The hole I just gorged into his stomach attached itself back together in seconds as he grew, his upper body becoming larger and bulkier. His mouth stretched into a broad and gapping aperture. Horns sprouted out of his skull, curling back around his ears as strange muscles ripped themselves out of his back, bending and forming into shapes, extending outwards and eventually becoming another set of arms.   
  
Kamoshida screamed in excitement, his laughs never ceasing.

“This….This is the power bestowed on me! I will control it! I will kill you, Joker!!! You can’t kill a god!”   
  
His body was much larger than previously, standing a good five to six feet higher as he loomed over me. His muscle mass tripled, which could only mean the damage he’d ensue would also be tripled. I stood in his shadow, trying to make sense of what was happening to the male before me. He called it his power…something bestowed on him—Something that him and Ann both shared…I couldn’t concentrate long enough to draw a conclusion as Kamoshida’s alteration neared completion. No longer a man, but a beast.

Massive, chameleon like, eyes scanned the room, trying to find something unseen. They paused on the girls cowering in fear behind him on his abandoned throne. He trudged over; the nerves of his body not fully attached making him wobble slightly with each step.

Seizing one of the girls in his giant clawed hand, he gazed longingly at her.

“You’ll do.” He spoke, he voice much deeper and raspier.

Opening his mouth wide, he chomped into her head, barely chewing before taking another bite. My mouth fell open as Kamoshida mercilessly and unforgivingly chowed down on the girl and swallowed her in one quick swoop. She didn’t even have the time to panic as her body was gone in seconds. The others shrieked at the sight before them, unable to defend themselves either from sheer fright, or knowledge that they were impossibly weaker than him.

Kamoshida licked the blood from his lips, delightfully cleaning every last drop off his maw in a joyful tune. It stuck me as odd, since Ghoul on Ghoul cannibalism wasn’t something I’d heard to be a pleasant taste, but from his body language, he enjoyed it.

Flexing his massive hands, the bones cracked with his movement. He crooked his head towards the girls remaining, not finished with his hunger.

“That wasn’t enough…” He groaned, reaching for another one.

I didn’t know what I was up against, knowing full well that rushing into the situation would be possible suicide, but I couldn’t sit there and do nothing as he prayed on them like lambs.

Speeding off from my spot, my wounded leg near numb, I leapt into the air calling forth my Koukaku to try and break into his massive back. Not giving as much as a glance, he swung his arm back to block my blade. Even though my attack hit, it sprang right off, the mammoth arm soaring into me. Bracing for the impact, the blast sent me flying across the room from his force. My tentacles helped to cripple my fall, skidding against the ground, before finally coming to a stop.

Kamoshida grumbled to himself, unimpressed with my pathetic struggle to impede him. With the distraction, one of the girls managed to pull out her bright and vibrant wings from her upper back. They flapped hard, gaining speed in the air, but they didn’t get her far as Kamoshida struck her down with a clawed hand. Shattering into the ground, her shredded body defiled the area around him, as the scraps of her skin clung to his nails. He nibbled on the remaining drags hanging off his hand, his eyes packed with nothing but reprisal.

I coughed, my upper torso hurting profusely. Judging from stinging, it was safe to guess he broke a rib or two with that collision. It hurt like hell to move, literally every part of me injured or set a blaze, but I couldn’t stay down. I wasn’t going to die here.

For some reason, I thought back to earlier that day, when I was outside of bosses shop, feeding Morgana and talking with Akechi. I recalled what he said to me before I left, it being rather odd, as we barely knew each other, but…it felt nice. Even if the relationship would be nothing but selfish lies, it was weird to be…wanted.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. It was a silly thing to think about right now—But why did I…?

Straining myself to stand, it taking all the energy I had to push myself up, my breathing becoming more labored with the ongoing blood loss.

Kamoshida reeled around to face me, his eyes brimming with hindrance. “Why aren’t you dead yet, worm?” He insulted, “How can you still stand?”   
  
Even if I wanted to respond, it hurt just trying to respire. I wasn’t going to waste my breath on him. My lack of response angered—No, infuriated, Kamoshida more. He turned away from his victims, them taking the opportunity to run out of sight. My legs quivered, I had to think of a way to get out of this, a way to kill him, or a way to run, but in reality, I don’t think I had the energy to do either of those things, especially in haste.  


Stomping towards me, his eyes wide with psychotic passion, he wanted to rip me limb from limb, I could feel it in his gaze. His Koukaku was still usable it seemed, as it formed around both of his lower arms, but not his upper ones. I assumed the same properties existed, and carried over, from his Ghoul features. So perhaps if I…

I recoiled my own Koukaku, and focused only on the four extensions out of my back. I sucked in a breath, ignoring the pain as I ran forward. I needed to land this move perfectly; otherwise I was most likely done for. I kept my body low to the floor, carefully examining his movements as I went in from the right side. Kamoshida lifted his left arm, going to spike me. I waited till the last possible second, to escape it, only to have to dodge his other arm coming down at me from above. I barely missed both, as I slipped around them. I burrowed two of my scales into one of his arms, climbing his massive bulk. He reflectively used one of his arms to try catching me in the air, but I drove him back with my two other tentacles.

Reaching his shoulders, I flipped over towards his back, hooking my daggers into his skin as a clamp, as I dug the sharp ends of my feelers into his extra arms. Running on nothing but vigor, I to cut through the tough muscle, severing the limbs from his body. They fell with a hard thud, the floor chipping under their massive weight. I hastily removed the daggers out of his back as I bounced back away from my foe.

Kamoshida yelled, the thick blood discharging out his stumps. He cursed over and over in his tantrum, disoriented at what just happened. He rounded towards me, sweat dripping from his monstrous forehead. I was on the verge of ruin, my legs close to giving out on me from the earlier battle and the new broken bones in my body. Attempting my best to stay standing, I conceded, as I dropped down on one knee, the open-ended fight causing me to tear more muscles in my leg.

Fuck. I couldn’t stand. This was it. Steadfast to the end, I tried, but this—this was a failure…I’d never been so overwhelmed by an enemy before, but this especially, I didn’t know how to handle.

A hardy jerk hit my body, as I was lifted into the air. The pain didn’t strike me until I recognized that one of Kamoshida’s blades was sticking through me, hoisting me up high. I whimpered, blood flowing from my mouth. Everything felt numb and I couldn’t move. He held me up, looking me in the eye with glee on his face. He smiled, taking pride watching me squirm in his hold.

“How does this feel? Not too good does it?” He asked

I coughed, tired of his pastimes. If he wanted to kill me, he should do it and stop toying with me.

He curved his head at me, puzzlement on his face, but he masked it with a grin. Weakly, I gripped onto the muscle that held me, not being able to do a damn thing. I couldn’t let this end, I couldn’t be made the fool who came here and died. Maybe I should of listened to everyone else, perhaps I was the cocky kid biting off more than he could chew, but I still had to try…

My mind raced with every possible scenario to get out of this bind, each ending the same bloody end if I attempted them. My mind settled on one meek idea, everything coming down to timing. I didn’t know what Kamoshida was going to do, throw me in the air, slam me into the ground, it was all up to chance. If I could just get off this spear…

“Ugh kid…” He rumbled, looking at his arm, “You’re bleeding all over me. Not really dignifying, don’t you think?” He asked.

“Didn’t you…want to taste it?” I snapped.

The comment must not have tickled his fancy, as I felt my body lift further upwards, his arm pulling back. He slung me across the room this entirety. I couldn’t make the connection of how fast I was going, just the intense pain of making contact with the durable wall. Luckily, my tentacles took most of the damage, the base of them shattering slightly. It felt like someone snapped my spine in two, the scorching sensation coursing through my entire body. I wanted to scream, but no words came out. Everything hurt…I just wanted to sleep.

Victory felt near for Kamoshida, but upon realizing I wasn’t dead yet he grew frustrated, or irritated, I didn’t know, I could only feel the vibrations of his steps coming towards me to truly finish me off. My vision went in and out, my body desperately wanting to pass out from the sheer pain. I fought through it, still trying to survive, even though I couldn’t move. Silence consumed me, as I could only hear my heart, slowly, but surely, still beating. While I didn’t obtain everything I wanted from this, I obtained valuable clues. I didn’t believe Kamoshida to lie, but he indeed was strong—In a way, I didn’t yet understand.

It took a moment before I realized the vibrations had stopped. I weakly looked up, Kamoshida frozen in his tracks.

Looking just as confused as I was, he lifted a hand up to his face.

“What…?” he mumbled.

Steam lifting off the skin, in no time, the flesh started to melt off, exposing the muscle and soon bare bone. Panic, shadowed by shrieking, blood flowed from his eyes, ears, nails, any place it could possibly seep out of. His pores filled with red, the liquid oozing out over his entire body leaving it a thin piece of what it used to be. His remaining skin hung off white bone, his face a distorted look of bewilderment and woe. He couldn’t get out any last words as his body dissolved in on itself and malformed into a heap of steaming innards.

I tried processing what had happened but my body was more concerned on surviving at this point. I heaved in heavy breaths, using every last screeching ounce of my might to reach into my inner pocket. I hoped that, despite the damage I had taken, this would work.

I pressed a button, if it was strong enough, I didn’t know, as my entire body went numb and my hand fell to the ground.

“Fu…ta…ba…” I said, my eye sight going black.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I recently saw the Tokyo Ghoul movie in theaters, yesterday actually, and it was alright! Amon was hot and idk how his jacket stayed so white, but that's a minor detail. Anyways! The AkeShu really picks up after this chapter, hope you enjoy :'D

For being so early in the morning, there certainly was a lot of commotion.

Making his way down the long winding hall, Akechi cheerfully greeted his coworkers as if nothing was wrong, but judging by their faces, something had gone terribly astray. He hadn’t received word of anything out of the ordinary, which was also unusual—As he was typically first to know next to Sae, so this was news to him.

Stepping into the main quarters, nothing but desks and computers for miles, he spotted the silver haired woman at her bureau staring intently at the PC deep in thought. Thinking it best not to disturb her directly, as he’d done so previously and suffered the consequences, he instead silently leaned against the edge of her cubicle, waiting for acknowledgement. It took awhile for her to give him what he desired—and not without a sigh of grievance.

“What is it, Akechi?” She asked, turning away from the screen reluctantly.

“I was just curious as to why you, and everyone else’s expressions are so serious for?” he asked with a smile, “It’s not a good look for someone as stunning as you.”

Sae lolled in her seat, ignoring the flattery, lacing her legs and arms together.

“It’s, what we assume to be, Joker, although that is unclear at this moment. You’d know this if you stuck around long enough to do your work.”  
  
“Oh? He’s showed himself again? That was rather hasty.” Akechi shrugged, snubbing the call out against him.

Sae nodded, “Yes, and not like he usually does either.”

Akechi tumbled the thought in his head, “How so?”

“Well…” Sae breathed, “It’s not typical for a ghoul to go out and murder one of his own without prior conflict, but he did—Actually several of his kind. Acts of cannibalism have been documented, and it’s not like it never happens, but he didn’t eat any of the remains.”

Akechi rubbed his chin, “Any identity on the other Ghouls?”

“There were a lot of lackey Ghouls that were relatively unknown,” Sae scratched her arm as she dug through some papers on her desk to confirm her information was correct, “Probably due to them hiding in Kamoshida’s shadow, but the biggest surprise was finding him dead.”

“Kamoshida?” Akechi blinked, surprised, “You mean the one who prayed specifically on women?” The name rang familiar, but little else was known about him, other than the fact that he was a five star level ghoul. Nothing was done about him, as it was arduous to even get near him. With Joker having taken out, not only a top ranking officer, but also a high ranked Ghoul—Just how strong was he?

Sae nodded, “The very same. There was no evidence to support that it actually was Joker, but with my thinking, there wouldn’t be a reason for other ghouls to target Kamoshida…At least to my knowledge.”

“But you think Joker had a reason to?” Akechi asked. Joker’s previous record didn’t disprove him to be malicious, even malevolent, but it sounded strange. He’d already fulfilled his revenge, slaughtering Ann’s killer, what more did he seek?

“I don’t know why he would, that part is still hard to decipher, but with the recent incident with Mr. Okumura, and the gravity of that situation, it’s safe to assume.” Sae paused, “It’s possible it’s something as simple as power swapping, but the ones capable of doing that already have their respected positions. Even still, we can’t ignore the state that body was left in.”

Akechi tilted his head, gazing off to the side. Supposing that it was indeed Joker, who was still grieving over the loss of Ann, perhaps he sought a way to take out his frustrations?--Although, that wouldn’t make sense to mark someone with as heavy baggage as Kamoshida, simply for frustrations. While Joker was dangerous, he was also cunning. Akechi was positive there was another reason behind it.

“What exactly was Kamoshida’s place on the food chain in the Ghoul world, are you aware?” Akechi probed.

Sae shook her head, “We only know that others didn’t dare to cross him. We’ve sent some of our own in and they didn’t make it back in one piece. Without a doubt, we’d place him in the top percentage.”

“And nothing of Jokers body was found at the scene, correct?”

“No, only a pool of blood. There were damages to the area that indicated some sort of clash.”

“Interesting…” Akechi mused, “So he must be alive…”

“With the amount of blood that was left behind, its hard to say. Even a ghoul couldn’t live with a wound that fatal.”

“….Did you do blood work on any samples?”

“We did, but with all the other remnants of blood, it was hard to decipher what DNA belonged to who. It came back inconclusive.”

“I see…”

Akechi stared off into the distance again, going over the possible explanations as to why pursuing Kamoshida would be beneficial. Was it to assert his dominance in their hierarchy? No. To make an agreement to be allies? Possibly. It wouldn’t be ridiculous to speculate Joker wanted to hunt down more of the core of this operation, but something still didn’t add up. No doubt having connections in the Ghoul world, Joker wouldn’t need the might of Kamoshida, at least not immediately…

“It’s worth mentioning.” Sae spoke up, “That Kamoshida wasn’t exactly found…” she trailed off, “…whole.”

Akechi raised a brow, “Whole?”

“His body melted from the inside out, collapsing in on itself.” Sae turned towards her computer once more, pulling up photos from the scene. Akechi winced at the skewed corpse, nothing but bones and clumps of skin and hair. It wasn’t something he wanted to look at for long.

“Now,” Sae continued, closing out of the images, “If Joker has some ability to physically melt a living being, we might be in for more of a fight than we realize.”

“Hm…I don’t think that’s what happened at all. Unless it’s only an ability than can manifest once in a critical state.”

“What do you think happened then?”

“I think,” Akechi adjusted his tie, “That Joker went there, for reasons I’m not positive on, but I don't think he had intentions to kill Kamoshida, those two being on opposite sides of the grid and having never interacted with each other before this. I think he went there to talk, and Kamoshida wasn’t willing to return the thought, causing a conflict that resulted in Joker being mortally wounded, but some other external force caused Kamoshida to dissolve into the state he was.”

“So Joker wasn’t really the bad guy here?”

“I don’t think hes…bad, per say, but he’s not lacking in intelligence, he knows what he’s doing.”

Sae mulled this over in her head, not able to come to any solid conclusion without more evidence. They had what happened at the crime scene down, it was the motive behind it that was unclear, which was the biggest issue.

Akechi sighed, running a hand through his thick hair, when a thought hit him. He’d been back to Café Le Blanc recently, but the boy, Akira, hadn’t been back in some time. Conveniently at the same time of the incident…There were already reasons in Akechi’s mind that pointed him in that direction, but he wasn’t positive on any of the reasons. He needed more proof before being able to judge someone’s sentence. It was still far too early to make that call, even with this realization, but…

Akechi snickered to himself, pleased at his deduction. Sae furrowed her brow at him, never quite sure what it was he was scheming.

“I suppose you don’t plan to tell me what you’re thinking like you usually do.”

“No, not yet anyways. I don't have enough of a testimony, but,” Akechi said grinning. “I may have our Joker.”

Sae’s eyes blurred with confusion, “What do you mean—,” but before she could question the statement, a guard walked over interrupting the conversation. He was escorting a very small and frail girl with him. She had curly light brown hair and a childish face. He cleared his throat, apologizing for the interval, announcing the young lady next to him.

Sae stood from her seat, bowing slightly in respect.

“Oh, Miss Okumura. What do we owe the pleasure?”

The small girl stepped forward, keeping herself composed.

“Please, call me Haru,” She said smiling, “I heard you were leading the investigation regarding the incident with my father.”

“Ah yes,” Sae answered, “Although i’m afraid I can’t share certain details with you if that’s what you’re asking for.”

Haru shook her head, “No, that’s not it at all. I also heard you lead the training department?”

Sae tilted her head, “Yes, that would also be me.” She wasn’t following where this exchange was going.

“I’d like to enroll in schooling as a new investigator.”

Akechi, who had been trapped in his own head, stirred at the proposition. It wasn’t someone he expected to enlist in the drill regimen, but then again, she probably had her reasons for wanting to do so.

“It never hurts to have more in our ranks.” He said addressing Haru for the first time, “Forgive my rudeness, I was lost in thought, my name is Goro Akechi.” He gave a modest bow.

Haru returned the gesture, “Pleasure is mine, Akechi. I’ve heard about you from well-received people. They like to call you an ‘Ace Detective’.”

Akechi gave a meek chuckle, “Oh do they now? Well, I suppose I better live up to their expectations then. Speaking of--” He bowed to Haru once more, then to Sae. Upon raising his head to his senior, he gave her a shrewd grin, something she knew too well, and also something that irritated her to no end.

“I’m going to take my leave now. My hunches are usually never wrong, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to prove myself right.” He laughed, only mildly joking.

Sae crossed her arms, any formal stature but a fickle memory, “Wait, Akechi, you can’t just move about on your own, much less tell me something like that and expect to stroll out the front door.”

“Ah, I believe I said I didn’t have enough evidence to prove my hunch. I want to dig further before delivering rightness to this. I mean, I’d feel awful if I was wrong.”

Sae flipped her hair off her shoulder, “But this is my case, you’re not assigned to it.”

“I beg to differ, Sae.” Akechi hummed, turning and taking his leave, “Going to meet me for sushi this time?”

“Don’t you have a bed time?” Sae barked, furious.

“Oh, you wound me. Maybe next time then.” He said flattening his hair.

 

 Maybe next time after he had a talk with Joker—No, Akira.

* * *

 

Ambient noise settled the room, the stillness being peaceful and tranquil. Occasional ticks of a pencil could be heard scrapping across paper, but other than that, it was like I was enclosed inside a sound proof room. My body felt disoriented, but also light, a gust of wind more than able to pick me up and carry me away. I didn’t know where I was, almost certain I was dead, but the pain coursing through my body told me otherwise.

Sluggishly, I opened my eyes, the light feeling like fire. The office was dimly lit, but the shiny white surfaces made everything appear more brilliant than it was. It was hazy to make out objects at first, but slowly my eyes adjusted to the new found brightness. Hanging off the walls were health posters and diagrams of the human body. By the smell of bleach and drugs, I could only assume this was her office.

I groaned, not comfortable with the way I was feeling. I felt like utter shit.

A squeak caught my attention as I turned my head to the side. Sitting next to me was a pale woman with short black hair. She wore a choker, white lab coat, and black heels—To anyone normal, she wouldn’t be allowed to come near a patient, but thankfully she was anything but ordinary.

She observed me, not saying a word, her dark eyes scanning across my body. Rolling her chair closer, she put a hand to my throat, then to my forehead.

“You’re finally awake,” She said reclining back in her stool, “I didn’t know if you’d make it after the shape you were in.”

I moaned, all my nerves coming back the more aware I became, reminding me of the gamble I took with my life at stake. The girl, answering to my bellows of anguish, reached behind her back, grabbing a thick white unlabeled bottle. She opened it, shaking out 3 large pills into her hand then reached over to me.

“Open up.” She said, not giving me a chance to consent to what she was giving me.

Tugging my mouth open, she shoved the pills down my throat. Hard and dry, I choked, roughly swallowing the medicine, the bitter after taste making me gag.

“What the hell were those?” I asked, scratching my tongue against my teeth and scrunching my face.

“Very strong ibuprofen,” she winked, them obviously not being your standard pain killers, “You won’t feel a thing soon enough.”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the dryness of each strand. Suddenly my entire body felt revolting, like I hadn’t bathed in weeks. That, or I was still dirtied from the fight, which wouldn’t be surprising. I doubt she did anything for my cleanliness.

“How long was I out, Tae?” I asked

Tae slouched forward, leaning her head on her hand, “About three days. I expected longer with a literal hole in your stomach and your organs dismantled, but you healed up pretty fast on your own. I didn’t do much, just monitored your progress and gave you pills to dull the pain when you showed discomfort. I’ve gotta admit, you have some amazing regenerative abilities.”

“Three days…” I mumbled. I remembered my, somewhat, promise to Akechi, and I couldn't fathom what he’d assume due to my absence—No doubt they were aware of Kamoshida by now. Still being rather beat up, I couldn’t walk back in there immediately, I’d have to collect a well thought out lie before attempting to rekindle that possible entry way to the Ghoul Investigators.

“So…who brought me here?” I asked, attempting to sit up, but Tae pressed me back down.

“The little orange one. The poor thing could barely hold you.” She frowned, “You were covered in blood, not even conscious. Somehow you had more to bleed out onto my floor. She was crying her eyes out.”

I closed my eyes, thankful that the message had worked. Some time back, Futaba took the liberty of installing a device on my phone that allowed a distress signal to be sent directly to her if needed. Having never needed to use it previously, I’m glad it worked and that she found me with no difficulty—More so I was glad my phone was still well enough intact to even function.

Tae chewed on her lip, the bright red making her white teeth stand out more.

“So,” she said, “She filled me in on what was going on, but obviously she didn’t know what happened. Care to share.”

Thinking back, there were a lot of questions more so than answers that I wasn’t entirely sure how to explain. Trying to grasp it only made it enigmatic.

“I…I don’t know.” I said holding my head.

“You don’t know?” Tae asked, confused.

I shook my head, “I went to Kamoshida for answers, or anything, related to Ann’s death, but…” I recalled how he said she died and how they both shared the same power. It didn’t seem like Tae would know anything about it, but it didn’t hurt to try. “He said she didn’t die at the hands of the Investigators…and that both of them shared some kind of power.”

“Power?” Her brow rose, “I’m not sure I follow. You mean like similar kagune? ”

“Towards the end of our fight, when I got the hole in my stomach, he turned into this…thing…I don’t even know how to describe it. It wasn’t anything I’d seen from a ghoul before.”

Tae chewed her lip again, “He was able to mutate his body? That certainly is strange…”

“That’s the best way to describe it. He ate some other ghouls that he had there, and that fueled his strength, making him a lot stronger than he was before, but he said it was bestowed on him. I don’t know if that means he was born with it or someone gave it him.”

This information weighed heavy on the doctor’s face, “If he managed to get a power like that from someone else,” She crossed her legs, leaning an arm back on her counter, “They’re messing deep with Ghoul DNA that’s already hard to alter. No normal ghoul is born like that.”

“You’ve heard of something like this happening before?” I inquired.

“Something a long time ago…” she paused, “I can’t remember what it was though.”

A wrench in my gut told me she was lying, but I didn’t probe anything further. The information would surface on it’s own soon enough, but it was bothersome how much everyone was withholding information from me. Shadows might as well be covering everyone’s faces, as I didn’t truly know who they were anymore.

Dodging my own thoughts, I continued my story.

“What really bothered me though,” I said, “Was something he whispered to me when the fight first began. I almost didn’t catch it.”

“What was that?” Tae questioned.

“Yaldaboth…”

“…Yaldaboth?” She glanced at a random poster on the wall, “I don’t know much about mythology, but wasn’t that like the false god of sorts?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t address it further.” I said flatly, “He addressed himself as a god, but I don’t know why he’d be so willing to call himself a false one.”

Turning her lip into a hard line, Tae twirled a pencil in her fingers and tapped her fingers in a rhythmic motion on the table. For the first time she took her eyes off me, concentrating on the knowledge given to her. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but it probably wasn’t something wholesome.

“This sounds a lot bigger than just Investigators killing Ghouls…” she said sighing, “I think it’s best you drop this interrogation of yours now before you end up dead.”

I took her words to heart. I knew what she was saying was true, that none of this added up, that something unconventional was going on, but I couldn’t leave the situation as it was. I wanted to know what exactly was going on in this city, and even more so with myself. The agony of my skull ready to split in two was still fresh in my mind--That had never happened before and I wasn’t sure why it was happening now.

“I don’t know if I can do that.” I spoke to her honestly, “There’s too much happening that, if left unsettled, it could be worse than leaving it alone. At least that’s what I feel…”

Tae closed her eyes, fiddling with the pencil in her hand. As much as she wanted to impede me, like many other people, she couldn’t. It was my choice and my choice alone.

Spinning around in her chair, she snagged a clipboard and swiftly wrote something across the paper.

“Well, it’s not my job to police your life, I’m merely a doctor, but just know, if you come into my shop leaving that much blood across my floor again, I’m charging you double.”

She unclipped the paper and handed it to me without another word. Glancing at the total, I felt my heart stop and feared it wouldn’t start again for real this time.

“But I thought you said you didn't do anything? Why is it so much?!” I exclaimed, flabbergasted.

Tae smiled softly, “For making Futaba worry so much.”

* * *

Days passed that felt like weeks before I was able to move about freely. Tae gave me various shots to daze the pain, as my torso wasn’t fully healed yet. It didn't hurt to walk around, but doing anything straining on the body obviously had its repercussions, but I couldn't linger around twiddling my thumbs. I had to get back to my search, which only seemed to increase the more I sought.

First things first though—I had to face Akechi.

Clouded and wet, I had to duck under awnings to avoid getting drenched. Luckily, Futaba brought some of my clothes with her during one of her visits, but failed to foresee this sudden storm, leaving me to run around in the rain. When the downpour became too much, I stalled in front of a local bookstore for a moment.

Taking the time to shake my hair dry, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. I figured now would be better than never to confirm that I wasn’t dead. It wasn’t even two rings in before someone picked up the phone.

“Akira?” They asked fretfully.

“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry I haven’t contacted you till now.” I said, plucking a random book from the outside stand, “I’ve been feeling like hell.”

They sighed, relief filling their lungs, “Oh thank god. Tae said you were ok and left, but I hadn’t heard from you at all. You’re so selfish.”

I smirked, flipping through some of the pages, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I should of left you there to rot, you know that?” She grunted, her manic drumming at her keyboard audible from the speaker, “What the hell happened?”

As suddenly as the rain started, it ended without warning. Extending my arm out, I could still feel a few light drops, but nothing to hinder my advancement. Setting the book back, I drew my hood up, holding my phone close to my mouth.

“I’ll tell you later, right now I gotta get to Sojiro’s.”

“He’s not gonna be too happy to see you…” She muttered.

“He never is.” I laughed, exiting from my retreat, “But I’m not going there to see him.”

Futaba was obviously confused by this, “Who else is there to see besides old man ‘Jiro?”

I scratched the back of my head, unsure if I should mention who it was. Thinking back to it, I hadn’t mentioned anything about him to Futaba yet.

“His name is Akechi.” I admitted.

“You’re going to meet a guy at a coffee shop? What are you two dating?” She teased.

“Not in the slightest,” I glanced both ways before crossing a street, Café Le Blanc but a stone throw away now, “Although he is cute.”

I didn’t need to see her to tell that her face was deadpan. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not…” she groaned.

Not answering, I left it up in the air if she wanted to believe me or not. She huffed, but glazed over the topic.

“His name sounds really familiar though…”

“Do you have any clues? I’m pretty positive he’s with the Investigator’s, but I have nothing solid against him other than his slightly odd behavior. Boss says he’s supposed to be dead and that he might be the son of Shido.”

Futaba went silent, her furious clicking ceased, “Wait what? You’re talking to the SON of the leader of the people that want your head? Are you nuts? Akira, what are you expecting to gain from this, like seriously?”

“Some weird things have been happening to me and I’m sure it’s not just coincidence. Ann’s death was possibly set up, I’m not certain. I’m trying to find out more.”

“Set up…? Holy—“ She cut herself off, the curse but a puff of air. Her hands flew over her keyboard like wildfire. “Ok, we’re definitely meeting later to talk about this more, got it? I’m gonna look more into this Akechi guy.”

“You got it. Let me know if you find anything.”

With a confirmation of agreement, I hung up the phone and continued on my way. The dreariness of the day made me feel lethargic and lazy. Stifling a yawn, something warm in my stomach didn’t sound too much like a bad idea. The probability of Akechi being at the shop was unknown, but I could at least go back and ask Sojiro the questions I had intended to earlier if he wasn’t--as well as get the scolding out of the way. If anything, I could hide from the mist for a while.

With my long strides, it wasn’t long till I got to Café Le Blanc. The black fur ball failed to reveal himself, probably hiding in someone’s garage to get out of the shower, which saved me time and effort. Hopefully, Sojiro didn’t murder him in my absence, placing him on a plate to feed to some unlucky bastard.

Pulling the door open, I spotted exactly who I wanted to see.

He sat at the edge of the bar, his jacket slung over his lap and legs crossed as he stirred his coffee. He wore dissimilar, more causal, clothing today instead of his traditional prim and proper look. Sojiro, who was busy with someone else, glinted at me, doing his best not to make any sudden change in facial expression. It went over well, his voice unchanging, but I noticed the slight twitch in his cheek, hiding the urge to roar and slander my name.

Tugging my hood off, I shook my hair free of the dampness once again, taking a seat at an open spot a few spaces away from Akechi. He looked up from his drink, staggered, but also happy to see me.

“Oh, Akira. It’s been awhile.” He said, “You’ve been gone for some time, I was rather worried.”

“Yeah, I had some things that came up,” I laughed, trying to keep the conversation as light as possible, “Sorry if I kept you waiting.”

Akechi leaned forward against the bar, “Some things you say…Interesting.” He droned, thinking to himself. There was a hint of suspicion in his voice, perhaps calculating being a better term, but he didn’t let on to anything else.

I turned to Sojiro, waiting for him to finish his conversation with a different customer. In the mean time, I yanked off my jacket, also throwing it over my lap. Getting his attention, I asked for my usual black coffee, but he wasn’t keen on making it. He eyed me, then Akechi, keeping his mouth shut, plainly wanting to intervene. Whatever he wanted to say kept him silent, as he barely said a word to me—To be expected.

I sighed, adjusting myself in my seat. Boss really needed new cushions for these.

“Well,” Akechi said, “In your absence, I managed to get to know Sojiro fairly well.”

Sojiro perked up at the mention of his name, his back tensing, not wanting to be dragged into this. He gave a faint smile, nodding.

“Yeah,” He said maintaining appearances and finishing my beverage, “But he usually leaves for his job fairly quickly by the time anything good starts to come up.”

Was Sojiro playing undercover cop for me? If so, did he get any viable information? I added that to my questions I needed to ask him.

Akechi frowned, “Yeah, it’s something of an on call profession, but I have today off. No requests for me for the, short, time being.”

Ah, so that’s why his clothing was different and more relaxed. I began to wonder how often he got days off or if this was a rare occasion. Then again, being apart of a literal hunting squad for Ghouls sounded like a 24/7 occupation.

Sojiro slid me my coffee, the aroma smelling sweeter this time than before. Sipping it, the hotness burned my tongue, but I enjoyed the numbing sensation as the heat pooled into my stomach. It made my body feel heavy, but not in a depraved way. Completely and totally relaxed, I felt at peace.

Setting down the brew after a thick gulp, I turned to Akechi, adjusting the glasses on my face.

“So you were worried about me, huh?” I asked, sneering.

Akechi let out a soft breath, “Well…Naturally it seems customary to be worried when not seeing or hearing from someone for awhile, is it not?”

“No, you’re right. It’s just strange to hear that from you.”

“Oh.” Akechi glanced to the side, “Why would that be strange?”

“We barely know each other. I’m sure you wouldn’t care if something happened to me.”

Akechi’s expression was serene, “On the contrary Akira, I don’t want anything bad to happen to people, regardless of how well I know them.”

 

Liar.

 

“Is that right?” I said picking up my cup again, “Well aren’t you a saint?”

“I wouldn’t call myself that exactly,” Akechi said also picking up his cup, “I’ve done some regrettable things in my life that I’d like to take back.”

This time, the words felt unpretentious.

“Like what?” I asked, truly curious. Besides the fact that he, probably, killed ghouls, I couldn’t think of other things he’d feel guilt over, but I doubt he felt remorse over the murder of monsters.

“Ah,” Akechi looked down at this lap, clenching his fists, the emotion he was bottling was unclear, “Lets save that for another day shall we?” He said with a smile.

I nodded, wondering when that next time would be. That is, if he didn’t attempt to exterminate me first.

We sat in lull for some time, pleasantly sipping our drinks. The TV played in the background, but all the news spoke about were random topics that held no one’s interest. It wasn’t surprising that Kamoshida’s death was withheld to the general public. The broadcast of a ghoul on ghoul murder might cause a panic, or perhaps hope? Who knew? Abruptly, I felt a slight twinge in my stomach, that being the beginning signs of hunger. Having been almost 2 weeks since my last meal, it wasn’t astonishing that I’d start to feel an appetite.

“Hey Akira.” Akechi spoke up, “What’s say you and I go get lunch together?”

I almost spit out my drink as Sojiro, who had been mindlessly working the entire time, spun around looking just as confused as I was.

“What?!” We both spluttered.

Akechi, dumbfounded, blushed as if he said something embarrassing.

“I uh…I mean…is it really that weird? Weird enough for both of you to gawk at me like that?” He tried to pull up his collar to hide his face, but it didn’t work well.

Closing my mouth, I sucked in a deep breath. He was testing me. That was the only explanation to it. He wanted to see how much I could eat without hurling, if any at all. I could always decline, but that’d raise my suspicion, something I didn’t need more of at this point. More surprisingly, is that he didn’t act with the evidence that he had in front of him already. Seeing and knowing how these people operate, they didn’t hesitate. Suspecting that he wasn’t wavering at all, that left the implication that he had an ulterior motive. One I needed to figure out.

“Sorry,” I said, scratching the back of my head, “It’s just, guys don’t usually ask me to lunch.”

“Oh please don’t get the wrong idea,” Akechi said holding his hand up and waving off the notion, “I’d just like to get to know you better is all.”

“Sure sounds like the wrong idea to me.” I said smirking.

“I…Uh…Well…I have nothing against it, but…Um…It’s not…” Akechi continued to mumble to himself, his face getting redder the more he thought about it. Deciding to save him the embarrassment, I shrugged, pushing the coffee cup away from me.

“Sure. Why not? I could eat.”

The brown haired boy let out a sigh of relief, the air to his lungs calming his mind.

“Oh, good. I almost thought maybe I botched this.”

Sojiro held his tongue for long enough, the anxiety flooding his mind.

“Now Akira, you—“ He started, but I had to quickly end his train of thought.

“Yes, I know,” I interrupted, pulling my jacket back on, “I know I have some stuff around the shop I gotta do, but I’ll be right back.”

Sojiro held my stare for a long time, every possible scenario playing before his eyes. He was furious at me for allowing myself to be in danger, but even more wounded at himself for being powerless to do anything about it. I couldn’t reassure him that everything would be ok, as even I didn’t know that, but I couldn’t comprehend how he cared so much for someone--no, something like me.

He closed his eyes and turned away, grumbling to himself, “Fine, but hurry back. There’s a lot of cleaning needed to be done.”

Getting up from my stool, I agreed to make a timely return.

Nodding towards Akechi, who had also put his coat on, I waited for him to be ready.

“You lead the way.” I said.

Akechi returned the nod, also pushing his cup forward and muttering a thanks. I followed him out the door, Boss’s eye’s never leaving my backside. I felt his anger, but also his worry through the back of my head.

I only wish I knew what laid ahead of me the next few months. Would I have turned back? Or would I have walked out that door and done this all over again?

 

I guess I wouldn’t know.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is almost over. I can taste the freedom. I hope everyone else is doing well on their finals, or work in general as well!! I want to get another chapter out by Christmas as a gift to everyone who reads this <3! Also it should be noted, that this chapter does have a rape mention, so if anyone doesn't like that, please be aware!! But judging by the content of this story, it should be implied there are dark themes, but I figured i'd give a warning anyways! Enjoy <3

The restaurant Akechi took me to made me feel severely underdressed, as everyone around us wore extravagant suits or dresses. I wasn’t trying to make an impression on anyone, or cared about the human hierarchy, but in this case it was unnerving to stand out so much. I was just glad to be sitting down and out of the majority eyesight. I’d never seen so much white and bright lights in a place before, not that I’d been to too many restaurants besides the ones Ryuji and Mishima dragged me to. They didn’t exactly have an extensive amount of wealth so most of the places we went to were quite cheap. Still, it must be bizarre seeing two high school students in a place like this.  
  
Akechi crossed his legs under the table we sat at, taking a quick sip of the water in front of him. He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together under his chin and resting it on them.

“You look uncomfortable,” he stated, sounding worried, “Is this not to your tastes?”

To be honest, nothing would be to my tastes, but I couldn’t say that, despite how terribly I wanted to.

“It’s not that at all,” I said, also leaning forward, “But doesn’t this feel a little posh for just a causal get together?”

“Hmmm…” he thought, “I guess I didn’t think about that. I just happen to know some good people who work here.” He glanced me over, watching my posture, “Don’t worry about money, I’ll take care of it.”

“Ohhhh~” I hummed, “So this is a date?”

Akechi shook his head, dismissing the accusation, but then slanted his head slightly in consideration. “Forgive me for being so forward,” He said, “but are you into guys, Akira?”

I shrugged, “Would that change your opinion of me?”

“Not at all, I’m just curious.”

I leaned back, getting more comfortable in my seat, “Well, lets just say I like what I like. I’m not entirely picky on what’s in their pants.”

Akechi didn’t anticipate my answer, pulling on his collar a bit. “So straight forward…” he muttered.

“Does talking about sexual things make you uncomfortable?” I laughed as he tried to hide his blush.

“It…It’s just not something that is so casually brought up. As I’ve said before, I don’t usually get the opportunity to discuss such…mundane things.”

I stretched, cracking a bone in my arm, “Man, you need to get out more. Do some fun things. Your life sounds way too uptight…Then again,” I twirled my finger upwards to indicate the entire building, “This definitely concludes you’re from a rich family.”

Akechi pulled his attention away from me, gazing down at the table, “And does that change your opinion of me?” Akechi asked maintaining a straight, but muted, face.

I detected a slight sense of pain in his voice. Unsure as to why, I could only answer honestly.

“…No,” I said, “Not at all.”

Akechi looked at me again, this time a gleam of contentment in his eyes. A soft smile crossed his lips as he relaxed in his chair. “That’s kind of you to say.” He whispered, glancing over his own menu.

Putting a hold on the conversation, I took a moment to eyeball the menu. I read what it said, but at the same time I couldn’t understand it at all. The spices and ingredients forever something foreign to me and not something I could describe. The way these things were portrayed made them sound so desirable, like something to be relished, but I could not understand the connection as to what made it so fancied.

Akechi watched me ogle long and hard at the menu. He’d already placed his menu to the side, probably knowing what he wanted before coming in here. “Having trouble deciding what you want?” He asked

“This is all just…so refined. I’ve never tried any of this.” I said

“I see,” he mused, “Well, if I could put in a suggestion, the Basashi is a rather notable choice.”

Peeking at the price my heart stopped. “Are…are you positive?”

He smiled, “Like I said Akira, money isn’t an issue today.”

“Do you eat like this on the regular?”

“Well…some times,” Akechi bit his lip, “I am just a spoiled rich kid after all.” He laughed, but he sounded wounded.

I folded over my menu, deciding to take his suggestion since I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, regardless. There were so many distinctive smells here, most of it belonging to freshly prepared hot food, but every so often I’d get a whiff of perfume. I watched as the people around me grew smiles on their faces as the food arrived, their glee to finally eat, but all I could smell was something absolutely vile. It didn’t affect me until I focused on it, but my stomach felt like it was already sick. This was going to be harder than I thought.

Deciding to focus on the task at hand, I turned my attention back towards Akechi.

“So, you never told me what exactly it is that you do.”

Akechi’s smile grew smaller, but still bright, “Ah, I guess I haven’t, have I? Well it’s not something I can really give out to people.”

I nodded, taking a sip of the water in hopes it would calm my nausea, “So what are you, an assassin? Is that why you’re being so friendly with me?”

Akechi laughed waving me off, “No, no, not in the slightest! Although…” His eyes narrowed slightly, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you had some ‘enthusiasts’.”

I wanted to ask him what he meant by that as the waiter came back over to take our orders. Upon giving him our requests, he bowed then promptly left, leaving a slightly awkward silence behind him. Akechi decided to continue his train of thought from before, using his straw to push around some of the ice cubes in his glass.

“Akira, what is your opinion on Ghouls?”

“My opinion?” I asked.

“Yes,” Akechi insisted, “Most of the general public has distaste in them, but I find them rather fascinating. I was wondering if you felt the same?”

I swirled some thoughts in my head, unsure of how to answer the question. Outright denying any sort of interest would be trouble, but saying my true thoughts on the matter, would give myself away. I had to potentially think of this like a human would. I had to be a human when I was around Akechi, as best as I could possibly could. This was something taught to us on day one.

“I…I’m not sure.” I said, “Sure, they eat and kill people, but aren’t they just trying to survive like us?”

Akechi raised his brows, “That’s interesting. So it’s like how humans cage animals just to slaughter them later, but we aren’t held in a negative light.”

“I guess that’s how you could look at it.” I said, “Why are you so interested in Ghoul’s and other’s opinions on them? I think you asked something similar the other day.”

Akechi chuckled, “I just…have a certain keenness with them. That’s all.”

“You wouldn’t happen to be one yourself, would you?”

“I doubt I would bring you, a human, here to a five star restaurant if I was, now would I?”

He maintained eye contact with me as he sipped on his drink. I smiled at him, not letting him have his victory just yet. I didn’t like how he slipped in the word “human” so offhandedly.

“No, that would be rather awkward now wouldn’t it?” I said, “Unless you’re really good at maintaining appearances, but even then, why pick me to prey on?”

“Hmmm…that’s a fair point.” He nodded his head in agreement, “You seem a bit knowledgeable about Ghouls yourself Akira. Why is that?” He asked

Shit.

“Isn’t this all common knowledge? I mean they teach us these things in school to be weary and you hear about it all the time on the news.”

Akechi reclined back in his chair, his confident glow emitting brightly around him.

“I suppose they do.” Akechi said flatly as he smiled at me.

His self-assurance made me question what I had just said. I replayed the conversation in my head, not sure where it was I slipped, but he was looking at me like I had made the biggest blunder in history--like he had caught me red handed with a severed head in my hands. I began to panic, but showing any signs of anxiety would only reaffirm his deduction of me being Joker. He could be bullshitting, but I didn’t know. It was impossible to read him.

Much sooner than I expected, the food came out and was placed in front of us. I examined the plate teeming with the food I ordered. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking at, but I had to eat everything that I inspected. Breaking the chopsticks in two, we both expressed our thanks for the food, before enjoying the lush platters.

Akechi wasted no time picking up a large amount of food and digging in, meanwhile, I didn’t know where to start. The portion size was small, but spread out extremely visually pleasing. I took a piece of the meat in my utensils, bringing it up to my mouth. I didn’t want to precede any further, the odors making me gag, but I couldn’t hesitate much longer.

Putting the meat in my mouth, it didn’t feel much different from that of human meat, but the taste was, for lack of a better word, equivalent to horse shit. I chewed on it a few times, not wanting to hold onto the taste for longer than I needed to. With a hard swallow, I managed to get pass one bite.  
  
“How do you like it?” Akechi asked, stopping to take a drink of water.

“It’s different from what my friends and I normally eat, but it’s delicious.” I said.

He laughed, picking up another hand full of food in his chopstick, “Is that right? I’ve only had it once before, and I remember it being kind of bland, as far as spices. Perhaps I just got a bad batch, but I’m not too picky about how food tastes.”

Slowly I plopped another piece into my mouth. This was going to take a very long time, unless I sucked it up and ate it at a regular pace. Trudging through the abysmal sensation left on my taste buds, I shoveled bite after bite into my mouth. With each swallow, my stomach grew more irritated and queasy. Running back home to puke my guts out felt like a dream right now.

“So Akechi,” I asked, setting down a side of rice I was munching on, “Why are you so interested in me? I don’t think you ever answered that.”

“Oh, well,” Akechi wiped his mouth with a napkin, “You just seemed like an interesting person Akira. Usually, I have problems talking to people our age, as they are far too immature for my tastes, but you’re different.”

“So you can stand being around me?” I asked

“Well…that’s a harsh way to say it, but I guess that’s putting it bluntly.”

I laughed, “I’m glad you feel that way then.”

Akechi pushed his food to the side, full from the small amount he ate. “I know we haven’t really talked for a long time or anything like that, but I have enjoyed what little has been said, and I’d like to expand on that. That’s all.”

I mimicked Akechi, also being severely done with my plate. He raised a brow at the amount left. He didn’t say anything about it, simply observed.

“Akira,” He asked, “Would it be alright if we exchanged numbers?”

I waned to his request, wary of how this could affect me, but pulled out my phone anyways. What was his goal here? Earlier into the conversation he was out for my head and now he’s playing the buddy, buddy game. It was frustrating to me that I could not tell what he was thinking, let alone who he was. I wished to just ask, get my head clear, but I was already skating on thin ice.

“I don’t see why not.” I said, giving him my digits, “I mean you’re buying me a meal, usually that leads to other things, but if a number is all you want, I can comply.” I jeered.

Akechi was taken aback, “The jokes just never end with you, do they?”

“Not when you’re so easy to make blush.” I said winking.  
  
Akechi shook off my flirtatious response and reached to grab his phone. Pulling up the new contact information, we swapped numbers and saved them. Somehow, I felt like I had made another mistake by doing this.  
  
Akechi smiled at me, sending a shiver down my spine, but also making me feel cornered.

I didn’t like this.

“Well,” Akechi said, adjusting his shirt, “I hope we can do this more often, Akira.”  


* * *

I couldn’t unlock the door fast enough, the keys fumbling in my shaking hands. Finally inserting the key into the lock, I twisted it open, darted in, and slammed the door shut. I barely managed to acknowledge Futaba, who had tired to open the door for me, but didn't make it in time. She look bewildered as I scurried passed her rushing into the bathroom. I could scarcely hold it in as I heaved up everything I shoved into my mouth earlier. Despite that I was throwing up, the fact that I had to taste the horrible food once again made it so much worse.

Futaba lingered outside the door, not prying too hard, but also not being too far in case I needed help. She fidgeted with her coat, feeling helpless in the situation. She didn’t like it when I came back home like this, it made her uncomfortable, but even more so it made her resent the idea of leaving home to try and live a normal life, which is why she stayed cooped up with Sojiro most of the time.

Feeling like my stomach was completely empty, I wiped my mouth clean of any remaining residue. My stomach hurt and my throat burned, I hated the need to do this every time…

Futaba gave me a moment to recuperate before saying anything.

“You alright?” She asked.

I sucked in a breath, any kind of movement feeling painful as I sat on the bathroom floor, “Yeah…yeah I’m fine.” I said.

“How much did you eat?”

“More than I could handle, but…I’m not sure how that went…”

I struggled to get up, the lingering sick feeling still making me nauseous, but also now that my stomach was a hollow void, I felt even hungrier than I did before. I’d either need to find some scraps, or hunt soon, but…

“So what did you find out about him? Anything of use?” I asked walking out of the bathroom and into my small kitchen. She had contacted me as I left my get together with Akechi, saying we needed to meet up to talk. I noticed she wasn’t in her stealth outfit this time, but rather in a normal white t-shirt, shorts, and tights, combo. I grabbed a cup out of one of the cabinets and filled it with water. Futaba bit her lip and looked down at the floor.

“Actually…no…I couldn't find anything.” She said, discouraged in herself.

I took the liquid and swirled it in my mouth, then spit it into the sink. I stared at the drain, lost in thought for a moment.

“How can there be absolutely nothing on someone?”

“I dug through everything I could find, but it’s like his record has been wiped clean. There are files with his name, but anything under them said unknown besides basic facts like his age and date of birth, although…” she trailed off.

“Although what?” I asked

“There was one questionable one that said he was deceased…I assumed perhaps it was a different Goro Akechi, but the date of births were exactly the same.”

I thought back to what Boss had said about knowing Shido and how his wife and kid died in an accident, but why lie about Akechi living if he wasn’t deceased?

“When did it say he passed on that file?”

Futaba thought for a moment, “When he would have been about two or three.”

That matched up with what Shojiro had mentioned, and that only made me more curious as to what was going on.

“Sojiro had mentioned before that he knew Shido and that he heard his wife and son passed away, his son’s name being Goro Akechi…It has to be the same. Where was the file located?”

Futaba took in what I had just said, taking a seat at the table in the center of the room. “Uh, in the Investegator’s database.” She said, adjusting the glasses on her face.

Setting the cup aside, I also took a seat at the small table. I heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing my forehead. The more I found out, the less it made sense. Futaba, casually sitting across from me, leaned her head on her hand.

“Well that confirms who he works for.” I said.

“It’s probably worth mentioning that there were some other curious files in the database, but even I couldn’t access them. The security was the tightest I’d ever seen.”

“…Probably only accessible by Shido or people he trusts.”

“Presumably. I’m going to try and see what I can do though, I didn’t have much time to pry.” She paused, “Did Akechi say anything of worth?”

“No.” I said, “It was rather casual besides his urging me to eat faster than I could bare. Also his continued interest in Ghouls.”

“I see…”

“Still…why would he be labeled as dead? How do you walk around for seventeen years and no one questions your identity?”

“Shido no doubt has a hand in that, that’s for sure.”

“Right, but I can’t just walk up to Shido asking for answers as to why his son is dead, but right next to me.”

“Not yet anyways…isn’t that why you’re getting close to Akechi though?”

“…Yeah.” I mumbled. Futaba raised a brow, but didn’t question my hesitation.

“Have you talked to Sojiro about this more?”

I shook my head, “No. I haven’t had the chance to. Every time I go there, Akechi seems to be there. Like he knows when I’ll be there…and then I was out for almost a week at Tae’s…”

“That’s right…you still haven’t told me fully what happened that night.”

I briefly explained what happened, from breaking in, to Kamoshida’s elusive answers, to his strange transformation, and then his ultimate end. Futaba leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, “I’ve never heard of anything like this…”

“Yeah,” I said, “Neither have I.”

She stared at the table for a long moment, “Weird things on both sides of the chart, huh? Don’t think it’s some kind of revolution?”

“I doubt it, you would have heard something about it.”

She nodded, “Yeah, that’s true…”

We both sat in silence, pondering out own thoughts, neither coming to a solid conclusion.

“I hate to say this,” Futaba spoke up, “But I think Akechi might be the only way to find things out.”

“Right, it’s just playing my cards right and being able to get into the headquarters itself. Do you think I could play the part of a fake investigator?”

Futaba’s eyes went wide, “Akira, no! I—“ she trailed off, “…Don’t they have ways of detecting a Ghoul in there or something?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“….” She bit her lip, “Then it is possible you could go in there and try to work your way in, but I’m not sure how you’d give Akechi the slip like that.”

“I’ll figure something out.”

“Do you want me to talk to Sojiro for you? Since it seems your hands are pretty full.”

“That would be helpful, thank you.”

She nodded, “No problem Akira…”

With that, I felt my phone vibrate in my pants pocket. Taking it out, I examined the name on screen. It was Yusuke. He was asking if it was possible for me uphold my end of the bargain for the outfit from before and to find him food. This worked out in my favor since, as it was, I was hungry myself.

Futaba, looked uneasy as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She fumbled her words before getting them out, “I…Uh…Akira,” she said.

I looked away from my phone screen, with concern, “What is it?”

She glanced around the room, looking for a way to describe what was on her mind, “When I was trying to access the file with Akechi, there was also another file…One with your picture on it.”

I paused, setting the phone down on the table, “My picture?” I asked.

She nodded, “It wasn’t an up to date one, it was one of you when you were younger.”

She didn’t think to mention this earlier?

To my silence, she continued her thought. “They were both in a classified folder of sorts, yours being even harder to break into than Akechi’s. I could at least get his open, but not eligible, yours was on another scale of security.”

“You’re sure it was me?”

She nodded, “Yes. I’d remember your face anywhere, Akira. It didn’t have your name, though…it was just titled Unknown. Other than that, I couldn’t configure anything else.”

I leaned back in my seat, covering the lower half of my face. Why would they have a file of me when I was younger, and even more so under such tight security? I couldn’t fathom why—Unless, at some point I was in their custody. How else would they have gotten a picture of me? But then why wouldn’t they have killed me, or how did I escape? The memory felt like an abyss, as I didn’t remember any of it at all. Was Futaba wrong? No, she rarely made errors in her work.

Were my memories altered? And if so by who?

“Futaba.” I said, coming out of my trance.

“Yes?” She asked.

“What do you remember from our childhood?”

“Childhood…?” She questioned. Thinking about it, she was stumped for an answer, “Akira…I don’t really remember…I just remember Sojiro taking care of us and us running around annoying him all the time. I didn’t understand why we were so different, and why I couldn’t eat what he had, but other than that, it felt pretty normal in my eyes back then. Little did I understand…”

I stared at her though my bangs, not being able to recollect it myself. I knew that we had grown up together, but that was about it. Her familiarity was that of a sister to me, but other than that, what exactly was our life like as children?

“…I see.” I said, still deep in thought.

“What?” She examined, “What are you thinking, Akira?”

“I’m thinking…talking to Sojiro might need to happen sooner than later, but—“ my stomach ached, groaning at the lack of sustenance in it, “—If I don’t eat soon, I might turn into something nasty. Yusuke just contacted me about our bargain anyways.”

“Ick…Inari….” Futaba said, sickened.

Ignoring her repulsion, I got up, pushing my chair in. I made my way for my jacket hanging on the coat rack and slipped it on. I looked out the window, the day going by faster than anticipated, as it was already nightfall.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like you to chat Soijiro up, maybe catch him while he’s drunk.” I said.

“He doesn’t drink like that Akira, but…I’ll try. I doubt he’ll budge, but I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you,” I said, “Seriously. Most of this is thanks to you.” I smiled at her.

Futaba waved a hand in my general direction, “Yeah, yeah, whatever, go and hang out with Inari and watch him play with guts and innards.”

“Do you need anything?” I asked, knowing she relied on me to bring her home the scraps.

“If you could, please.” She said, pulling her knees up to her chin, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to stay here for a bit.”

“Stay as long as you need to, just lock up when you leave.”

“Ok…” she said, sounding somber and depressed. I delayed, wondering if I should ask about the sudden mood change, but it felt right to leave her be for now. I could always ask about it later.

Waving her a subtle good bye, I closed the door behind me, stepping out into the chilly air.

* * *

Futaba’s words weighed heftily on my mind, making me slip more than usual. I made a lot of errors in my pursuit, but devising the slaughter was still easier than ever. I was hungrier, a lot hungrier than usual, the roar in my stomach reverberating through out my entire body. I craved the freshness of flesh and blood running down my throat and finally I was getting it, my animalistic tendencies getting the better of me.

I wasn’t a fan of killing the innocent; I always made sure to have Futaba give me a list of people with criminal backgrounds. This one in particular, was responsible for the rape of a several women.

He cowered, stumbling over himself and his newly broken leg. His screams fell on deaf ears, as there was no one around within earshot to help him in this shady area. I never ran after my prey, I let them run, watching their anxiety rise and fear take over, as I nonchalantly followed their shrieks. My inner predator grew excited at the thrill of the hunt, as simple as it was. Humans were never much of a challenge—That is unless they were an investigator.   
  
A flicker of the struggle I had with Mr.Okumura a few weeks ago raced before my eyes. Mostly blinded by rage, I couldn’t make sense of the other feelings I had while fighting; I only recalled the excitement of it all, as I actually had to try for my kill. Humans never fought back, only making meager attempts to escape, but he stood his ground, not intimidated by my strength at all.

My mouth began to water slightly, remembering the feel of the blood splashing onto my skin. I wanted that feeling of victory again. I longed for a challenge like that again. My mind wandered, remembering the day’s events. It’s not like it wouldn’t be happening again soon, not at this rate. I could possibly have my fun much sooner than expected.

An image of a helpless boy lying on the ground covered in his own blood, panting whatever breath he could muster, came to mind. The color of his skin slowly faded as his body twitched in abnormal spurts. He tried forming words through the gashes on his mouth as he stared at me with those helpless eyes, the only sign of life and hope left in his body—and i’d so very slowly take that away under my grasp. Let me pin him down, straddle him, listen to his wails, his anguish, as I dug in for the feast…why was I imagining him?

“Someone! Someone help me! He’s a ghoul! A ghoul!”

Returning to reality, I realized my business here wasn’t quite done. Perhaps my fantasies could come into existence one day, but for now, I needed to eat--real food this time.

I approached the man, who was now cornered at a dead end, as he scraped against the wall with his nails. Tears flowed down his face, but I felt no sympathy. I wanted him to cry more. Using one of my tentacles, I struck him through the shoulder, making him cry out. He begged for his life, willing to do anything, but I wasn’t listening.

“Do you think,” I asked, “that this is what that girl felt? Do you think she felt scared, helpless, taken advantage of? But you just kept doing what you wanted to didn’t you? Even when she begged you to stop.”

“W-what?” he stuttered, “I…Who are you?”

I couldn’t stand his stuttering mess of words, as I ran him through again, this time straight through the face. I yanked his head off, tossing it to the side, not wanting to look at it any longer. It disgusted me. Humans were so disgusting. Maybe I could begin to understand why Yusuke didn’t find them appealing in the slightest.

Speaking of—

“Ah…you could of at least saved the eyes. Those are my favorite…”

A dejected voice came up from behind me as he stooped down next to the body. He wasn’t in his usual casual attire, but in his body suit with a foxtail and fox mask. He had been there the entire time in the shadows, closely following behind me. He was never one for fighting or conflict, as he wasn’t threatening at all, he’d rather mooch or pay for someone else’s services. With what money, I’m not too sure.   
  
I pulled my tentacles out of the deceased victim, shaking the blood off.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly want to look at the face of a rapist while I ate.”

“…Understandable.” Yusuke commented, poking the body.

I squinted my eyes at him, “What…what are you doing?” I asked, “I just got you dinner like promised and you go and play with it. Maybe Futaba was right.”

“Futaba?!” Yusuke perked up, “She talks about me?”

I shrugged, “Not…in a way you’d like.”

Yusuke sighed, then nodded, “Also understandable…”

Taking a moment to collect myself, I motioned for Yusuke to wait a moment before helping himself. I didn’t care about what else he had on his body, but there was one thing I always wanted. The heart.

Making an incision, I careful wretched it out like I always did--the muscle, the texture, making me feel a sort of high I could only get in a moment like this. I sucked in a huge breath before tearing into it, the blood oozing out all over me. My stomach rumbled greedily, wanting to be filled with something other than the garbage humans ate. My chews hastily became gulps as I thoughtlessly made quick work of the beating muscle.

Yusuke stared at me, horrified, “Akira…if I may, when was the last time you ate?”

I didn’t answer, stuffing my face with a grunt. It tasted so good, I wanted to ravish in it. What would his heart taste like once I ripped it out? Would it be bitter? Would it be sweet? Or would it be tough and tangy? Curiosity getting the better of me, my thoughts immediately becoming clouded with carnivorous intent. Maybe I was more of a monster than I thought.

Yusuke shook his head, reaching to take a part of the body, when his head tilted to the side, listening to something down the alley. I took note of his caution, slowing my gulps, and tuning into what he had heard. Footsteps were down the way, and steadily becoming closer, but I recognized the sent to be all too familiar.

“Ah fuck, he can’t see me like this.” I said dropping the small chunk of heart left on the ground, “What is he even doing out here? I thought the area was clear.”

“It was, but,” Yusuke’s eyes narrowed, “Wait…I also know this smell…This is…”

“Hello?” the voice called, “Someone back here?”

I slapped a gloved hand to my face, sliding it down to my lips. How could he be so stupid? Was he naïve or just ill informed about what was happening all over the city? I’d have to sit him down and talk to him later about this, but for now…I needed a way to get this body out of here.

I went to get up, thinking I could possibly distract him, but the wetness on my torso told me otherwise, as I remembered my savage nature just a few moments ago. Tapping my foot, there wasn’t enough time to do anything about the scene. Quickly, I glanced over to Yusuke, who was, thankfully, completely blood free.

“Go.” I urged.

“W-What?” He asked blinking.

“Go and distract him while I take care of this. Just talk to him. I’m giving you permission.”

“I—I can’t do that Akira, how do you expect me to—?”

“Just go!” I insisted again in a hushed tone, yanking him off the ground and pushing him towards the edge of the junction. He tripped only barely catching himself, but was now definitely in sight of the other person. He couldn’t avoid it now.

Yusuke turned, heavily embarrassed, to face the other person, his heart beating fast against his chest. Yes, he could never forget this smell. The fresh sent of death mixed well with this lovely aroma--it made him shiver. It made him crave that intoxicating scent and even worse, hungrier.

The other stopped dead in their tracks, thrown off by the sudden person in front of them. They blinked, tilting their head in confusion.

“Hey, you’re that one guy…”

That one guy.

Yusuke was heart broken at the lack of memory, but kept a calm façade, “O—oh!” he said, not sounding surprised at all, “Ryuji, was it? You’re Akira’s friend.”

“Yeah…” Ryuji clicked his tongue, “That would be me. What are you doing back here? I heard someone scream, so thought I’d look.”

Yusuke scratched the back of his head, “Ah, well, yes…That was—I fell.”

“You fell?” Ryuji sounded like he didn’t believe what he heard, “Sounded a little more dramatic than that.”

“Well, you see, it was rather painful! Ow…” Yusuke tried being in pain, but his acting skills were miserable. Watching this from the sidelines, as I hurriedly collected the remains of the body, was like watching a car accident in slow motion. You wanted to scream, but it only lumped in your throat and your body remained motionless in complete horror.

“I see.” Ryuji said, “What’s with the clothes?”

Yusuke looked down at himself, pulling on his puffy sleeves, “Oh this? Is this not normal?”

“…Not unless you’re traveling to the era of samurai.” Ryuji frowned.

“I…I see,” Yusuke sulked, “And pray tell why you’re back here yourself?”

“I was just…in the area.” He said dodging the question. I didn’t like the tone in his voice. I’d have to sit him down about a few things it seemed like. How to casually bring up the topic was another issue though.

Ryuji shoved his hands into his pockets, “Didn’t expect to run into you around here, though.” He said.

“I was,” Yusuke stroked his chin, “I was looking for inspiration for my next piece actually.”

I almost choked. That wouldn’t be too far of a stretch, technically speaking, but not in a good way.

Ryuji brightened up like he remembered something, “Ohhh that’s right! You’re an artist! Akira told me about that.”

“He…He did?” Yusuke lit up, looking rather doe eyed at the acknowledgment, but then hunched in on himself in defeat, “It’s…an odd hobby, I’m sure.”

“Nah, I think it’s pretty cool, actually. I don’t really have too much of a knack with stuff like that, but I envy people who do.”

Yusuke put a hand up to where his heart would be, like something was wrong with it. He was silent for a moment before blubbering out something else.

“No one’s ever envied my art, or my skill,” He said, “Thank you.”

“I mean,” Ryuji continued, “I haven’t exactly seen your art, but I feel like it’s not as bad as you might think. Especially if you’re going to such great lengths to find inspiration for it.”

Yusuke felt something new flutter inside of him. His eyes darted everywhere except in Ryuji’s direction. At a loss for words, he looked like he wasn’t sure of where he was. Finally, he mustered up the courage to say what he had wanted to since he first met him, or rather the general association.

“Uh…Ryuji, would you like to…uh…” he stumbled over his words like a nervous child, “Would you like to, maybe, help me with finding inspiration some time?”

I immediately stopped what I was doing, dumbfounded at what I was hearing. Regret washed over me, not wanting to accept what was transpiring. Even if Ryuji did accept, I couldn’t let them actually hang out together. That would leave me with nothing but anxiety.

Ryuji looked down, scratching the back of his head, not entirely sure how to answer. I could tell he was embarrassed at the proposal without even needing to see his face.

“I’m not sure I’m the right guy for that.” He laughed, “Can’t Akira help?”

“Akira,” Yusuke sounded offended, “He mocks what I do! Calls it an abomination!”

“That’s because it is.” I whispered under my breath. What else do you call the manslaughter that happens in that chamber of a house?

“Akira can be pretty rude some times, but I’m sure he’s just joking.” Ryuji comforted, smiling.

Stuffing the last piece of heart in my mouth, I grumbled to myself, finally able to pick up the body without it spilling everywhere. Ryuji calling me rude was the biggest oxymoron I’d ever heard. Did he ever listen to himself talk?

Yusuke must have heard my frustrations under my breath, as he let out a quiet laugh.

“Yes, he’s an honest one, but still a good soul.” He glanced my way, taking note of me nimbly climbing up the side of the wall towards the high roof. I made eye contact with him and motioned for him to follow me, anything to get him to end the conversation faster.

Yusuke cleared his throat, “Well, I suppose I should be going…” He sighed, not wanting to see the blond leave just yet. Seconds later, a light bulb clicked in his head, “Actually, why don’t we walk out of here together?”

I stopped my ascent, almost dropping the body on my shoulders. My mouth hung open as my mind went from one emotion to the next. What was he doing?! I wanted to leap down, blow my cover, and yell at the lanky blue haired artist, but that would cause more problems than resolve them. I couldn't hear what Ryuji had said, but assuming since Yusuke was walking forward, he had agreed to.

“Fucking…You are SO dead.” I grumbled, climbing the rest of the way up, “I did not give you permission to get friendly with him.”  
  
Leaping over the edge, I tossed the body to one side of the roof; rushing to the ledge of the building, I needed to see what those two were doing--that is if Yusuke wasn’t already sinking his teeth into him. I already knew Ryuji had some kind of affect on the Ghoul that I wasn’t too sure as to why, but it made him do things that were dumber than the ordinary.

Spotting them just reaching the exit into the street, they exchanged some final words before separating. Yusuke glanced up at me to confirm my location. Looking around to make sure Ryuji wasn’t watching him, he ran for a different alley way and ascending the building. It took him a few minutes to get to where I was, hopping from roof to roof, and he knew he was in trouble.

Sheepishly he tried to play it off, “Oh…Akira, I uh—“

“You…what, exactly?” I asked, my arms crossed.

Yusuke held his breath, bowing much lower than customary to me. “I’m sorry! I just…I can’t resist him. I don’t know why.”

“Is it because maybe you want to eat him? Did that ever cross your mind?”

“I…No—I mean yes…No!” He fell silent, falling to his knees in an even lower bow, “I’m disgraceful, I know. I just wanted to make sure he reached the exit safely.”

I closed my eyes, calming my nerves. He didn’t exactly do anything detrimental to him, only escorted him to the exit, which I couldn’t be mad about.

“Would you get up, you’re embarrassing me.” I said, turning away from him.

Yusuke slowly stood up, still shyly looking at everything else but me. I could feel a tension in the air that wasn’t yet relieved and I sucked in another breath to prepare myself for what he had to say.

“…What else is there?” I asked.

“Well, we exchanged numbers since we’re both mutual—“

“No.” I said.

“Excuse me?”

“No.”

“I—“

I went to scold him more, as my phone went off in my pocket. I wanted to ignore it, but it went off again immediately after. Motioning for Yusuke to stay put, I pulled out my phone and looked at who was contacting me.

It was from Akechi.

He wanted to meet up tomorrow in the afternoon. He didn’t specify a reason, just that he wanted to see me. I didn’t peg him as the guy to use emotes, but he certainly did like using “:)”. My mind elsewhere now, I typed back a quick response, and put my phone away.   
  
Looking back at Yusuke, he looked like a wounded puppy who did everything wrong. I sighed, walking towards the body I had tossed aside earlier.

“Come on, stop looking so sad. Let’s finish this.” I stated.

Yusuke dawdled before following me towards the carcass, the stench already stronger than before. It would attract other ghouls if we didn’t hurry. He knelt down besides me, scratching the side of his face.

“You’re not mad at me?” He asked.

I shrugged, reaching for a nice amount of meat, “I’m not upset, I’m just worried, but if you aren’t going to do anything to him, then…I can’t be mad at you.”

His face slowly began to regain more color in it, “So are you…ok with it?”

“No, but…I’m going to trust you. You’ve never broken your trust with me before, and I value you as a friend so—“ I was cut off by long arms enveloping around me, knocking me off balance slightly. The blue haired ghoul had wrapped me in a hug, joyous at my blessing.

“What—What the hell, Yusuke, get off me!” I said trying to push him off.

“I’m just so happy, Akira. I meant what I said, you’re a good soul.” He spoke on the verge of tears.

I rolled my eyes, gratified that he was so delighted at my understanding and trust, but I wasn’t the one for hugs most of the time, as they made me uncomfortable. Even still, I couldn’t help but smile at the love struck ghoul. He let go of me, moving to a different side of the body as he eagerly helped himself, definitely in a much happier mood now.

Letting him concentrate on eating, I took my time and reread what Akechi had sent to me.

For some reason, with the way it was written, it felt like he was watching. Cautiously, I scanned my surroundings, but saw no signs of him. I was probably just being restless, which was unlike me.

What exactly did he want…? To continue being “friends” with me, or something else?

I guess I’d find out tomorrow.  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH I'm a terrible person LMAO;; Christmas life hit me square in the jaw man and I didn't have as much time to write as I thought it would! BUT, at least I managed to get this chapter out before school started!! Anyways enjoy! <3

Falling down was easy. Getting back up was the hard part. Throw, after throw, after throw, it seemed more and more intolerable. The stiff floor was punishing and unforgiving, a would be metaphor for failure. That each time they fell, it was another set back, but they couldn’t let that get the best of them. They had to keep getting up, again, and again, and again. They had to become better so the floor—the hurt of failure, was but a distant memory.

The brown haired girl pulled herself off the ground, wiping the sweat from her brow. She sucked in heavy breaths as her adversary stood over her. Sae barely had any signs of weariness on her body, still able to fight, but Makoto was about ready to pass out as her muscles spazzed trying to hold her frame even an inch from the carpeted floor.

Sae beckoned for her to cease, flipping her long hair behind her back. “That’s enough Makoto,” She said, “We’re finished for today.”

Makoto shook her head, forcing her legs to stand, but she wanted nothing more than to collapse on the floor as they wobbled like jelly. “No…Sis, I can still…keep going.”

Sae eye’d her up and down, “Your legs look like they’re about to break if you take another step. Stand down.”

Makoto winced at how pathetic she was compared to her battle-hardened sister. She’d experienced a lot more than her, fighting actual ghouls in combat, and taking down numerous threats. It was inspirational to her as she hoped to one day be as daunting as her sister, but it felt like something that was so far off, it would never happen, but still she had to try. She couldn’t let the coaching scare her away, as it was a process that took time.

Realizing there was nothing more she could do, Makoto collapsed onto the floor, her body burning and throbbing across every inch that existed. Her arms and legs felt like gelatin, as her breathing was no longer calm or relaxed, but deep and ragged. She pushed herself much past her limit this time, the pain without a doubt would surely sting tomorrow.

Sae put a hand on her hip, staring down at her younger sister, “You’re far too aggressive, leaving yourself open to enemy assaults. You need to learn to read your opponents movements, not just charge head first expecting to land a finishing blow your first time.”

Makoto looked up at the silver haired woman, but quickly looked away when she locked sight with the fiery eyes. They made her feel embarrassed and ashamed at how tactless she was.

“You’ll die on the field fighting like that, don’t let your emotions get the better of you. Remember, you’re fighting monsters; monsters with advantages that you don’t have,” Sae turned around to grab a towel off a rack not too far off, “But with the right equipment and training, we can close that gap existentially.”

She pitched the cloth down towards her sister nonchalantly, then turned on her heel to walk towards the door. “Clean yourself up and go home, I’ll be back a little later tonight. I have some paper work to finish up. I also need to contact Akechi, he hasn’t answered his phone in some time.”

Makoto nodded, wiping her face. Sae always came home late. They barely spent any time together like they used to, but Makoto was aware it was for the betterment of the county. It just felt lonely at times…

“He’s been acting strange, hasn’t he….?” Makoto commented, thinking about Akechi’s odd behavior lately. Although, he wasn’t around their division much, even less around Makoto, it seemed strange of him to deliberately withhold information, especially from Sae. According to her though, he did this some times when close to figuring out an answer, except this time it concerned Joker, which was a much higher priority than his other cases.

Sae slowed her stride, “Definitely, and I don’t like it, but that’s not a concern for you to worry about. Worry about yourself first.”

Makoto sighed, her hands sitting limply in her lap, “Understood, sis…”

“Ma’am.” Sae corrected with a sharp bite to her words.

“….Ma’am….” Makoto mumbled, defeated. She knew Sae couldn’t be seen treating her any differently than the others. It would create a disturbance in the workforce, showing affection and looser regulations to family ties, but it still hurt that she was so cold to her. Life at home wasn’t too much different, the same hardened exterior clouding her sister’s judgment.

As Sae left, closing the door with a hard tug, a girl who had been spectating from the sidelines, quickly rushed over to Makoto’s side with a bottle of water.

“Here,” she said, “Take this. You must be thirsty.”

Makoto gently smiled, taking the bottle from the girl, “Thank you, Haru.”

Once Haru enlisted, she took a peculiar liking to Makoto, making small talk and encouraging her to keep going, especially on days like today. It was nice having a friend in the field, but she also felt awkward, as she didn’t know how to return the interest in the best ways.

Haru nodded, taking a seat next to her. Makoto felt a twinge of guilt for her sitting on the floor, but she also felt comfortable with someone beside her.

“Don’t let what she says get to you,” Haru said, making herself comfy, “You were great, she’s just much more experienced in the field. I think she might expect too much of you.”

Makoto sighed, chugging on the water bottle. Compared to her, at this point, Sae was already on the field doing work and raiding Ghoul strong holds. The comparison made Makoto feel inadequate in terms of skill.

“No, I can do better…She’s right.”

Haru, insulted at the thought, shook her head, “You’re the best in the class! Far better than any of the other students. I’ve seen you battle with them like it was nothing. I mean, I haven’t even had the opportunity to fight others, let alone leave the training facility.” She laughed, with a soft smile, “Truly, it’s an honor watching you train, I want to learn from you!”

“I wish I was as enthusiastic as you.” Makoto said setting the water bottle aside, “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe I should look at what I have done and not what I’m still lacking.”

“Yes,” Haru nodded, “Yes, It’s far too bothersome to dawdle on things that you can’t change immediately. As long as you’re working on them over time, I’m sure you’ll eventually reach your goal.”

“Thank you.” Makoto smiled, feeling slightly better about herself, “If I can ask you something, why did you decide to undergo training? I mean--” Makoto cut herself off, remembering the recent events. She waved it off, feeling insensitive for even asking, “No, no, never mind, I probably shouldn’t of asked. I’m sorry.”

“Its perfectly fine,” Haru smiled, “Obviously there was the death of my father, which left me feeling rather lost…but I realized I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. While I still have control of the company, I wanted to do something more for the country like he was doing…I guess in a way you and I are alike! I just really admired his dedication and I don’t want ghouls to take away what’s important to others.”

“I see…”

“What about you, Makoto? If I may also ask, what was your reason for joining?”

“I…” Makoto hesitated, remembering that shinning blue light of bright fire. The screams, the blood, the flat out massacre that happened on that day oh so long ago. She could never forget how she felt back then, how terrified she was as her sister kept her quiet. She could never forget what it felt like to be so powerless and she never wanted that again. She never wanted to see someone die in front of her again.

Sucking in a deep breath she shrugged off the question, “I just wanted to become stronger.”

“Ah…I see.” Haru could sense the bitterness behind the others words and dropped the topic, deciding it better to brighten the mood for her teammate. “Hey, we should do something.”

Makoto, dumbfounded, tilted her head at the proposition, “Do…something? Like what?”

Haru stood up, adjusting her outfit. She extended a hand down towards Makoto, offering to help her up. Makoto was hesitant, never having someone be so friendly with her before, especially with Sae being her older sibling and, almost everyone’s, superior. She took her hand in hers, accepting the help. The weight on her legs hurt, but was nothing she couldn’t handle.

Haru beamed, delighted that she was finally making some headway with the other girl, “Oh, I don't know! Are you hungry? I know some wonderful places around here! There’s also a movie or something we could see! Oh! Or I could show you my flower garden!”

Makoto was baffled at the shorter girl’s enthusiasm and optimism. She didn’t have many friends in the past, dedicating her time to her studies and training, so this sudden invitation was new to her.

“I...I am kind of hungry…” Makoto said shyly, covering her stomach as it emitted a low growl.

Haru brought her hands together, “Excellent! I’ll call and make reservations!”

“Re-Reservations?” Makoto stuttered.

Haru nodded, “Of course! You deserve a treat for working so hard!”

“That’s a little much…” Makoto frowned, wiping her brow again to make sure the sweat was clear.

Haru hushed her, “Not at all! It’s nothing much, believe me. I just want you to feel better!”

Makoto was at a loss for words as the much shorter girl dialed a number on her phone, waiting for the other line to answer. She felt a sudden fluttery feeling in her gut, like how she some times experienced before giving a speech in front of an audience, except this sensation was much nicer—more pleasant.

She smiled to herself, covering her face with her towel to hide her sentiment. It was shameful to be like this, but she couldn’t help it. She’d never had a genuine friend before. A sense of hope flooded her, as this relationship felt like something that was going to last for a while.

In her own world, Makoto didn’t even realize Haru had finished her phone call and hung up. The shorter girl beamed another cheerful smile, motioning for her to follow her out, all the while chatting about her day. It was pleasing, yes…’This was pleasant’, Makoto thought.

This was nice. This is what she’d always wanted.

* * *

 

I waited along the boardwalk, waiting for Akechi to show himself. I was marginally earlier than the set time, but it was comfortable being able to relax for a trice. Staring out at the ocean, I watched the boats ship out from the deck out to collect fish as the sun set in the distance. A slight wind blew towards me, the chill making my skin tense up. Fall was approaching, as the days grew shorter and the temperature became colder. I leaned against the railing, letting my thoughts wander while I lingered. For a long moment, I blanked, the voiceless thoughts being nice for once, but it didn’t last long.

There was a lot I needed to do, but failed to make the time for. I hadn’t contacted Ryuji in some time, but his clutter of text messages proved he was worried about me. He vaguely mentioned getting in contact with Yusuke, but this wasn’t news to me. He began to ask if I was dead, and I was tempted to reply back with a smart-ass remark, but let it be. I’d call or text him back later, when things settled down—If they ever settled down.

I had yet to hear back from Futaba, or even talk to Sojiro in person, which was concerning. It was unlike her to go without contacting me for so long. Perhaps she managed to find something out and was looking into it. Regardless, I’d have to make the time to deal with all this nonsense in time.

I scratched my head, ruffling my hair about, trying to release whatever stress I could. It was no use worrying about everything; I simply needed to take this stride by stride, doing what I could when I could. Things would fall in place with time.

Still leaning over the fence, a familiar presence approached me. They didn’t disturb my engrossed attention, just leaned on the supports next to me.

“What a nice breeze.” He said, “I’m a fan of fall, I can’t wait for the leaves to start changing color.”

He set something down, which made me tilt my head to his casual introduction. I saw at his side he carried with him a suitcase I’d never seen before. It was strange for him to be carrying that now of all times out in the open like this. A wrench hit my gut as I glanced around and noticed just how silent it was for the first time.

There was no one around.

Akechi raised a brow at me, “You look like you have something on your mind, what’s the matter Akira?”

“Nothing,” I said flatly, remaining calm on the steel bars, “What’s with the suitcase?”

Akechi shrugged, smiling, “Oh it’s just something for my work.”

“Did you just leave it?”

“No, I actually never went in.”

“…..”

I made eye contact with him for a long moment, not liking the tone of his voice. Usually he was plastic, his voice laced with a fake cheeriness, but right now his voice held something different. He talked like he knew something I didn’t, like he was above me in some way or another—Like he had something planned for me.

I stood up from my relaxed position, standing up straight. That same pain, the way I felt while fighting Kamoshida, was dully probing at my skull, while that same sent from the first day I met Akechi filled my nose. My heartbeat was off, pounding irregularly against my chest, as I stared at the slightly taller male.

Akechi, not alarmed at my sudden stance, continued to gaze out at the ocean, “Say Akira, what’s it like to be free?” he asked

“…Free?” I asked, “What do you mean?”

Akechi chuckled, “Like be able to make your own choices.”

“That’s a rather odd question to be asking.”

“I suppose it is, but it’s something that’s been on my mind.”

“Well, your guess is as good as mine.” I said loosely. Freedom was a lost word for Ghouls, none of us having ever experienced true freedom in our lives, the constant hiding and fear of death feeling almost equivalent to imprisonment. What would a Ghoul know what it’s like to be free?

“…I see.” He said, “I’ve never felt like I’ve had the freedom to be myself, but somehow when I’m with you, I feel I can let my guard down a little. Is that a silly thing so say?”

He leaned off the bars, standing next to me. He adjusted his gloves, subtly flexing his hands in them. He refused to make eye contact with me, but I, however, kept my eyes fixated on him. Finally our eyes met, the sun reflecting off his light brown eyes.

“Akira,” He said, picking his suitcase back up, “Do you think Ghouls kill people because they want to? Or out of necessity?”

I took a step back, the tension in the air changing drastically. I took a quick glance around the area once more--still no one was around. It didn’t bother me until I thought about how much time had passed; perhaps a good half an hour or so. My lower back itched, wanting to break free and tear him apart, but I couldn’t, not yet.

“You look nervous,” Akechi continued pulling something out of his back, “Is it because maybe this question hits too close to home?”

He lifted his hand up, holding what he had pulled out of his back pants pocket steadily. He clasped a hard silver weapon that I didn’t see often, especially in Tokyo, but with his position in society, it only made sense for him to have it. I stared straight into the chamber of a gun pointed directly at my face.

I let out a deep breath, the itching in my lower back becoming more infuriating. I clenched my fist, knowing that he’d known all along, I just didn’t expect him to make a move so suddenly, especially in broad daylight.

His cheerful disposition dropped, a calm and cool exterior taking it’s place as he stared at me down the long barrel.

“You’re still hiding,” He said with a frown, “Show me your true self, Akira—No, Joker.”

Everything around me felt like it was going in slow motion, the scene before me but a wrinkle in time. I’d been called out, with a gun pointed at my head, there was no reason to hide anymore, not with my life so close to death. I felt my eyes change, the black and red tinting the landscape, as my tentacles slowly formed their way around me.

Akechi wasn’t at all afraid me, the literal ghoul, in front of him. He kept himself steady, serene and cool headed. He laughed, more so at himself than me. His finger twitched on the gun, and that’s when I took my chance. Propelling my tentacles towards him, he shot at one of them, delaying the impact. Before I could fully reach him, his suitcase propped open, familiar scales squirming out of it. They knocked back my own, defending the Investigator’s body.

I retreated back slightly, unaware of what I was up against. When I’d fought Mr.Okumura before, he had also used some technology-enhanced weapon, but I had yet to see the full organs of a ghoul working so freely. They also looked augmented, being larger and fuller in bulk.

I considered my options when something strange affected my mind. At first I felt light headed, but then my body became stiff. The tentacle that was shot pulsed from the bullet, but upon closer inspection, I could see something was off.

“What…Was in that bullet?” I asked, my body steadily becoming more paralyzed.

Akechi shrugged, “I don't know. Haven’t had the opportunity to test it out, it seems to be working in my favor though.” He said slyly.

Difficult to remain standing, I forced myself to move forward, despite the numbness. Akechi smiled at my charge, not expecting any less of me. He retracted his tentacles back into his suitcase, leaving him open with nothing but himself and a gun. Not entirely sure of his angle, I continued to pursue forward, ready to rip his neck out with my bare teeth.

I threw another scaled tentacle at him, but he easily dodged it, the paralysis slowing me down considerably. I tried sticking another one into him, but it lodged itself into the ground. This was the sloppiest I’d ever been, even sloppier than my fuck up with Kamoshida. It was borderline embarrassing that I couldn’t land a hit on this regular human, who was just stepping to the side to dodge my attacks.

Akechi knelt down, dodging another one of my swings. He crept closer to me, taking the opportunity to knee me in the stomach. I choked, the substance in my blood gripping at my lungs, despite that, I couldn’t be taken down this way. I tried to throw a punch at him, but he simply gripped it in his hand.

“I’m surprised you can still move this much, rather impressive, Joker.”

Twisting my arm, he threw my body into the ground, surprising strength coming from one so small. Turning my body over, he stepped on my arm, pressing a hard knee into my stomach as he once again pointed the gun at my face.

“Ah, who would of thought that Joker was nothing more than a high school student, really I’m impressed.”

“What do you want?” I growled through bared teeth. Managing to extend my tentacles forward, I grazed his body scarcely, not enough to rub the skin off, but enough to feel the fine textures of his fabric.

He closed his eyes, chuckling to himself once more. Pulling the gun back, he tossed it to his side, leaving himself completely vulnerable. At first I was stunned, but with me being immobile on the concrete, he probably felt he’d won this fight.

Twisting the heel of his foot deeper into my arm, he smiled that same fake serpent smile.

“I’m not here to kill you.” He said

I rose a brow in mild surprise, “Again,” I restated, “What do you want?”

Akechi shrugged, running his free hand through his hair, “You’re not the only one who wants answers. Let’s make a deal.”

His words were paper thin, but I relaxed only slightly, willing to listen to what he had to say--at the least, “And what’s this deal?”

“I get you into the Headquarters, allowing you to meddle all you want, but in return,” a dark glint shrouded his eyes, “You have to help me kill Shido.”

“Why the hell do you want to kill Shido? Isn’t he your father? Not just your father, but also your advisor?” I felt drunk, my head spinning at a million miles a minute. Everything was uneven and like the world was constantly shifting below me. I couldn’t make sense of what was up or down, only that I was being pinned down by the male above me. Shido was, to some extent, a symbol of peace and prosperity for the human race. Why would Akechi want to take that away, ultimately leaving them defenseless?

Akechi nodded, “That he might be, but that's my thought to hold. I’m not asking why you’re so intent on killing us, or why you’re continuing your hunt, you don’t need to know why I want my own family dead.”

I bit my lip, weighing the options in my head. Either I helped Akechi, getting my way into the headquarters like I wanted to, but what’s to prevent him from killing me whenever he wanted to? What benefit did I have for him, that he couldn’t easily replace later? If he pulled cheap tricks like this all the time, it wouldn’t be too far off to say he might win that fight.

“Why me?” I asked.

Akechi blinked, his own thoughts swirling in his head, “I saw a master file with both of our documents in them. I want to know why that is. It’s one thing to have files for an individual on a server, but to have both of our documents in a classified folder is highly skeptical,” He paused, looking me over, “Also stating the obvious that you have no problem killing off top tier Ghoul Investigators. While there are other ghouls with high stats, yours are the best there is—This is just an unfortunate circumstance. ”

My eyes lolled to the side, them not wanting to be open anymore, as I disregarded his insult, “So you saw the files?” I asked.

“Quiet, it’s also how I found your whereabouts. While you were not under file by name, as they didn’t know your current name, Sojiro on the other hand, was rather easy to trace.”

Sojiro?

“So that’s how you found me?”

Akechi nodded, “Not exactly, but with some more digging and watching your mannerisms, which were good, but slightly off, I came to the conclusion that you were probably Joker.” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, “Although if I was wrong, I’d feel like a major asshole, wouldn’t you agree?”

Regardless of if he was right or wrong, he was still an asshole through and through.

“Does anyone else in the Investigation know about me?” I asked.

“Not at all. I took those files and replaced them with different information.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Akechi laughed, “Are you really in a position to not trust me? I need you as much as you need me and when this deal is done, you’re free to walk your normal life.”

“I thought your goal was to eliminate me?”

“Their, goal,” Akechi corrected, “While I too wanted to end your life at one point, I realized you could be useful to me.”

“So I’m nothing more than a tool to you?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way, Akira. You’re just a viable partner.”

“You’re full of shit.”

Akechi shrugged once again, lifting his hands up.

“Here. Strike. Kill me if you want to. Well wishes on getting into headquarters and even more so on covering up my death.”

“What—“ I thought Akechi had completely lost his mind, but he was serious. With ease, I could potentially end his life and erase any knowledge of me being Joker. Although Akechi wasn’t daft, he could be bluffing or have something else up his sleeves. I didn’t trust anything out of his mouth with how easily he was able to lie and put on different faces.

“You’re hesitating.” He stated, smirking. He eye’d the swaying tentacles around him, not noticing any signs of movement, “I thought I’d be a dead man by now wallowing in the belly of a ghoul.”

“You’re over zealous,” I said, finally closing my eyes, “Who wants to be killed that easily and of their own free will?”

“Well, at least I have this much as far as freedom now don’t I?”

“Tell me everything you know.” I spat, tired of his run arounds.

“I already did, I know as much as you Akira if not potentially less, which is why I’d like to join arms with you.”

“And if we do, what exactly is your plan?”

“That’s something we can discuss later over a nice cup of coffee, for now, I want you to trust me.”

“….” I remained silent once more, trying to steady my burning heart. He was right, I didn’t have a choice. If I said no, he could shoot and kill me on the spot, but if I said yes…that would potentially buy me more time, if barely. Unable to do much more, I simply nodded to his terms, not liking the idea of this at all, but at the same time, I had theoretically gained a powerful ally.

“I don’t trust you, not one bit, but I’ll play your game for now.”

Akechi smirked, removing his knee from my stomach. He straddled himself across my lap, sitting on my lower pelvis as he leaned over me and took the sides of my face into his hands. His face was so close to mine, I could feel the strands of his hair tickling my face.

“Glad to be working with you, Akira.” He whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far!! Comments are always appreciated!/THROWS KISSES AT YOU ALL


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